Does Your Life Insurance Need Special Handling? More of Your Questions Answered
If you’ve been following our Special Handling series, you know that we’ve covered prequalification and underwriting and the challenges the life insurance process can pose for different situations. We’ve also spent some time answering questions about those who are high-risk and how the life insurance marketplace works. Now, in our fifth installment, we will continue that dialogue and address concerns surrounding life insurance for businesses purposes.
11. How Much Life Insurance Should I Apply For?
Many people want life insurance, but they worry about how much it will cost them. As such, they want to see some rates and “back into” a purchase by balancing the amount of life insurance they would like to have with the amount of money they are willing to spend.
To help you make your decision, I will either give you a reliable quote as quickly as I can or get you into a “price ballpark” as soon as possible. This number would represent our educated opinion as to what the lowest possible premium would be. If it works for you, then we can continue with prequalification and solidify the price. If you don’t like the number, then you can reassess your purchase, possibly identifying an additional source of premium, or reducing the guarantee period for the coverage you want.
12. I Need This life Insurance Policy To Obtain A Loan From My Bank For My Business. Can You Ensure The Policy Covers The Loan?
The typical way to make sure this happens is to collaterally assign the benefits. Once your policy has been delivered and all delivery requirements have been submitted to the carrier, such as premium payment and signed receipt, coverage will go into effect. At that point, the carrier will assign the benefit to your bank.
Should you pass away before the loan is paid off, the claims department will notify the bank and require proof of the balance due. The bank will be paid the balance to clear your debt, and your beneficiary will receive the rest of the death benefit, if any exists. In these circumstances, both the client and their banker are usually anxious to close the deal. We work to fast-track the underwriting of your application and keep your banker updated on the status of the policy. My reassurance that the process is moving along is usually sufficient for them.
13. I Need This Policy To Be Owned By A Trust. How Does That Work?
The number one concern in this situation is to make sure the trust has been completed by the time your life insurance application has been approved. This way, the policy can be issued to the appropriate owner and beneficiary designations. We can submit the application without the trust, but then you and your attorney would have to expedite the legal work.
It’s important to avoid a scenario in which you get a good offer from the insurance carrier, but can’t accept the policy due to delays in finalizing the trust. You would then run the risk of something happening to your health, or otherwise affecting your eligibility for coverage, and losing the good offer.
14. My Business Will Be The Owner Of This Policy To Cover A Partnership Agreement. Will That Make Things Complicated?
The underwriting will be more complex in this case, but we handle these situations all the time and can manage them efficiently. You will need to provide basic financial data about your business, then, if you like, our underwriting team will coordinate with your controller or accountant. The underwriters will also need information regarding coverages on your partners to make sure there is parity. We also offer the option to bring in attorneys and financial planners to guide you in the structuring of the agreement, at no charge to you.
15. Once You Complete Prequalification, Am I Under Any Obligation To Do Business With You?
The simple answer is no, you are not. You do not sign a contract, nor do you pay for the prequalification service. However, as you will witness, I make a significant investment in giving you a competitive and reliable quote. I only provide this service for “ready buyers;” those who know they have a need for life insurance, have the means to pay for it, and desire to obtain a policy now. If you appreciate the value of becoming prequalified for coverage because it gives you confidence in the final outcome, my services are the right fit for you.
If you go through our prequalification process, you will not be submitting an application only hoping to be approved, let alone at the price you were quoted. We specialize in providing you with an application approved at the rate quoted. Our goal is to make life insurance quick, easy, and painless to purchase, regardless of your situation.
If this appeals to you, then contact me at skobrin@stevenkobrin.com. I would love to help you on your life insurance journey.
Keep an eye out for part 6 of this series, where we will answer even more questions about life insurance and the need for special handling.
About Steve
Steven Kobrin is a life insurance expert with over 25 years experience. He serves high net-worth individuals and business owners as well as high risk and uninsurable “impaired cases.” Steven offers concierge life insurance process to ensure the policy is approved as it’s quoted. To learn more, read his blog, connect with him on LinkedIn, or request a policy audit today by calling his office at (201) 796-8142 or by email at skobrin@stevenkobrin.com. Steven is a contributor to Investopedia, view his profile here.