We had a really good run with the stock market over the past 10+ years. It seemed like the market was on a non-stop race to higher and higher levels. In fact, many hobbyist investors made unimaginable fortunes by launching blogs and doling out investment advice that largely parroted the long-standing ethos of the now …
When looking at universal life insurance–especially in the context of its ability to accumulate cash value–and comparing it to other life insurance products like whole life insurance, people often note that it appears to have much lower guarantees. In fact, here’s an excerpt from an indexed universal life insurance proposal that highlights said low guarantee:Now, …
Life Insurance used to generate retirement income is a slightly more advanced subject within the world of life insurance and financial planning. The stock jockeys hate it, and the life insurance agents love it. No surprise there. But is there something that life insurance brings to the table that is truly special? Or are you …
I’ll be honest with you—writing this post makes me feel a bit like Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie “A Few Good Men”. Remember when Nicholson is being questioned by Tom Cruise in the most memorable scene from the movie and Cruise is demanding the truth? Nicholson replies, “You can’t handle the truth!” So, what …
When you read or hear the words tax shelter it probably doesn’t conjure images of using whole life insurance. But whether or not whole life is actually a tax shelter depends on how you define it more than anything. It’s not a tax shelter in any sort of the more shady ways that people discuss …
Universal life insurance is characterized by its flexibility and transparency of expenses. Unlike whole life insurance, where expenses operate under the cloak of proprietary information, we can easily call up the expense breakdown of universal life insurance policies and see exactly where the money goes. For universal life insurance policies, expenses fall into four main …
With news sources reporting every higher inflation measure–and ample signs of prices increasing across the country–it’s understandable that many people are seeking ways to personally combat the effects of inflation on their lives. The Infinite Banking crowd appears ready to pounce on this topic and celebrate their ethos as the solution to the problem. Philosophically, …
Dividend recognition dictates the policy a life insurance company has regarding what it does in the event a policyholder takes a loan out against his/her whole life policy. If the company practices non-direct recognition then it does not adjust the dividend in the event there is a loan against the policy. The company pays the …
Market corrections happen. Given their frequency, the chances are very high that you will live through a few of them once retired. This can be a scary prospect for a number of people. According to Charles Schwab Research, and reported on by Forbes, retirement accounts that cannot keep up with income needs is one of …
Interest rates are on the rise. Mortgage rates are up. Treasuries are at levels we haven’t seen in a while. Inflation is top of mind, and the Fed will likely continue raising rates until lofty inflation rates cool down–inflation levels we haven’t seen in a very long time. So with rising interest rates comes potentially …
