US Financial Crisis - by Aingaran Panchalingam

Is Life Insurance an Investment

? - Meghan_McCartan For years and years, many people viewed life insurance through a single lens, as a necessary hedge in the case of one's death to help provide for heirs, for a spouse, to help cover personal loans or business loans, etc. Life insurance for some was simply an option checked off as one of the "benefits" received through an employer, and no further thought even needed to be devoted to such a remote possibility as one's passing. Lately, though, some advisors are recommending that life insurance be considered an "investment". Why? In part, because of volatility with the stock market-as equities (that is, "stocks") go up and down based on seemingly nothing more than investor's emotions, it's distressing to see a portfolio-especially a retirement portfolio-shrink to almost nothing. Certain policies, however-even if they are invested in the market-carry with them certain guarantees of protection of principal, etc. Of course, the investor (in this case, the life insurance policy owner) pays for those guarantees in the form of fees and charges, but that may be a price certain investors are willing to sacrifice in return for protection of a "nest egg". So is life insurance as an investment the way to go? The answer is that if you are looking for whole life ONLY as a way to provide for heirs, you are often best served by purchasing a term policy in an amount that will cover major expenses (discuss this with your advisor). Those types of policies are often the most cost-effective. If you are looking for an investment to protect a part of your portfolio, insurance may NOT be the most cost effective solution. There are exceptions, though, in terms of estate planning and gifting-for which insurance can be an excellent means to protect a portion of an estate that one is planning to pass along to an heir (meaning, a portion of your portfolio that you will not need access to for income.) Typically, those who can benefit from insurance as an estate planning strategy are those who have an estate above the federal exclusion amount (right now, that amount is $3,500,000). When such an estate is passed along, estate taxes of 55% are assessed. However, if a portion of that estate/portfolio is as part of a permanent whole life policy, payable on the death of the owner, the beneficiaries are not assessed taxes for that part of the estate. The other use for such permanent life insurance is "gifting"-passing along a portion of your estate to a charity or a specific heir-by making that entity the beneficiary of a life insurance policy. If you don't fall into one of those categories-for example, if your estate is not above the three and a half million mark-is insurance as an investment not for you? You may find that wealth transfer strategies and estate planning (for any size estate) can benefit from judicious use of life insurance policies. It is worth a conversation with your advisor. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meghan_McCartan How to Find Good Investment Properties - by Rose B Owning leasing real estate properties is becoming widely held nowadays as the investors tire out of the stock market quest. Investing on these properties is believed to be one of the effective ways to build your wealth. However, not everyone carries out what it takes to turn into virtuous landowners. But of course, for those who do, investment on real estate properties remains to be a perfect means to get you on the pinnacle of your dreams. But how would this be possible? Check out the following to help you out in getting started: Prepare your Time Horizon Scheme Before you start buying your potential investment property, you should be able to discern whether the ownership of the said rental estate is long-term or short-lived. Without a doubt, you must be able to have a good conception on how long you intend to venture on this enterprise. It is in this way that you will be able to decide on how much further you may be investing in terms of the property maintenance, repairs, as well as its advancement. Here is the tip, if you are a small investor, lasting ownership is the best for you. Why because, you will have an ample time to come through any market blows. Also, rental profits can make a good complement to your day job. Nonetheless, if you choose otherwise, that is a shorter time scope; greater investment risks will be on your way because changes in value are basically probable especially if the purchase is from a worked up market. Network Expansion To be able to momentarily find the properties that are for sale, you should be able to build up links in your place. This means that you have to start searching for foreclosures, or making friends who knows a lot regarding which lands are about to be put up for sale. Furthermore, you may also run advertisements on local newspapers, or you may start working with real estate agents who are always on track with promising buys. Finally, to sustain contact widening, you may start off joining several associations on local landlord or group of the property owner. Secure your Finances To prepare for this exciting endeavor of yours, it would truly be better if you keep good credits with lesser debts in order for you to get a decent loan. Remember that more often than not, when you buy a particular leasing property, lenders tend to demand for bigger down payments, elevated interest rates, and stronger finances. Finally, it also pays to make enough savings even after the property purchase to help you out on repairs and other improvement stuff. Avoid Overpaying Pay excessively and you will never be able to get back as much as you could have had. Do not forget that if you pay in large amounts for a rental, everything may just become in vain. You better choose the appropriate formula that fits best in your area for there are off the hook cases regarding this stuff. The key is you should be able to ensure that your leasing income will cover your out-of-the-pocket costs. Certainly, finding good investment property is never that easy. Nonetheless, better be wise enough to consider these guidelines to be able to get hold of what you truly deserve.

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