What Exactly Is A Life Insurance Dividend?

By Richard Johnson


Would availing a life insurance with dividends make much of a difference compared to just purely life insurance? Depending on whose perspective we are defining it, life insurance dividends may be interpreted in several different ways. Basically, a dividend is money offered, typically on a yearly basis, to cash value insurance policy holders only if those policies are participating. Simply put, a participating policy is a policy that earns dividends if stock performance is better than the norm. This type of policy has higher premiums as compared to the non-participating policies.

To be able to better appreciate this, try to imagine a company generating profits. After the income is received, it offers portion of the income to the shareholders by simply having to pay them dividends. Just as, life insurance gives you a percentage of its profit to policyholders. Right now there are many ways wherein an insurance provider is able to distribute dividends to their clients and also getting a stock of the insurance company is definitely a prerequisite to get dividends. One of these is actually by means of mutual companies. The majority if not really all life insurance companies which offer participating life insurance are actually mutual companies. It means that the policy owners are also the owners of the particular insurance company.

Dividends are also seen as a way of refunding the premium. Needless to say, this will only cover a portion from the premium which makes it different from the standard dividends. The main advantage of dividends like a refund is that it allows the policyholder to take pleasure from its benefits as it is 100% non-taxable. Note though that dividends aren't paid on a regular basis. It will highly depend on the performance of the investment. This means it is not assured. If performance is much better than what has been projected or if the insurance provider has lower mortality experience (the number of policyholders dying) and expenses, combined with high investment returns, then you will have increase in dividends. That could be the only time dividends are paid.

Policyholders have the option to take these dividends in cash or may purchase additional insurance. Dividends may automatically be used to buy paid up additions to the policy which in turn also earns dividends. One may also use dividends to lower their monthly or yearly premiums. Or better yet, dividends are better left on its own to be able to accumulate interest say for ten years or twenty years then have it collected in cash. This will be a lot more beneficial as it is most of the time a significant amount of money that the policyholder can use.

Life insurance in itself is already a beneficial investment in protecting family members should one be taken out of the picture early. Having to purchase a life insurance with dividends makes it even more beneficial as one get to enjoy the benefits while living together with the members of the family. Who says life insurance is enjoyed only after one has gone? Life insurance with dividends is in every way a living benefit indeed.




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