Have you seen the Suze Orman Show on NBC or CNBC?
Every now and then a caller asks a question about Term Life vs Whole Life Insurance . Get a glimpse into what Suze Orman advises one caller on the topic of Whole Life Insurance also known as Permanent Life Insurance.
Deepak: Hi Suze! We love your show. My wife and I watch it every week. It’s such an honor to talk to you.
Suze Orman: Oh. Thank you! What can I do for you?
Deepak: Well Suze, a friend has recommended that we buy a whole life insurance policy as an investment.
Suze Orman: Stop! Stop! There isn’t a friend in the world. Not one friend in the world that if it is a true friend that would recommend you buy a whole life insurance policy. A snook, somebody who wants to take you, somebody who in my opinion is not a friend maybe. But there is no way a friend would do it. Does that answer your question already?
Deepak: It gives me a good sense of what you are thinking.
Suze Orman: Alright, how old are you though Deepak?
Deepak: 31
Suze Orman: How much of an insurance policy? What was the death benefit?
Deepak: Um, I think 50…$500,000.
Suze Orman: $500,000? Alright how much was it per year?
Deepak: Fourteen
Suze Orman: Fourteen Hundred?
Deepak: $14,000
Suze Orman: Fourteen Thousand dollars a year?!?!
Deepak: …and the idea was largely use it as an investment to put money away to save on taxes.
Suze Orman: Ok, just out of curiousity…made my nose itch. I have to tell you whenever my nose starts to run I feel like Samantha…where I wanna…you know on Bewitched? I don’t know if you were even born back then where I want to twinkle my little and get that guy out or whoever that friend is and off the face of this Earth.Listen, insurance is not an investment. Does this friend of yours happen to sell whole life insurance?
Deepak: Boy it seems like you’re reading my mind here.
Suze Orman: Oh sweetheart that’s not a friend that a sn….I don’t even know %#*#)$! You know, it gives me dandruff I think. Listen, you can get a half a million dollar term policy for 20 years at your age for approximately $25 or $30 per month. OK? That’s $300 per year. Now, if you really want to make an investment you could take all those other $1000s of dollars and take that money and invest it where? In a retirement account, a piece of real estate, in stocks, bonds, whatever it may be where it absolutely makes sense to you.
Do you know that I am a licensed insurance agent. A life insurance agent and I am licensed in every single state in the United States except Hawaii because I don’t want to go to Hawaii right now to take the exam.
So I have been licensed everywhere. Very few people can tell you that they have that type of insurance background. I can tell you that if you put $14,000 into a whole life insurance policy, my friend, how much commission do you think I or your friend would make off of that $14,000 deposit?
Deepak: Like atleast a thousand or two.
Suze Orman: Oh, are you sitting down?
Deepak: I am.
Suze Orman: Are you? What don’t you try about $10,000. Ok?
Deepak: Wow.
Suze Orman: So yeah, he could buy you…just forget it. Here’s the bottom line. Don’t do it. Do what I said. Buy a term insurance policy. You can get a half million dollars that way. $300 a year and tell your friend why doesn’t he go and make some real enemies!
Why doesn’t Suze Orman like Whole Life Insurance (also known as Permanent Life Insurance / Variable Life / Universal Life)?
For the amount of death benefit one can purchase Whole Life, as life insurance is way overpriced.
It is surprising to have to $14k PER YEAR to only receive $500k worth of whole life insurance coverage
$500,000 worth of Term Coverage = $300 per year
Customers are shelling out huge amounts of money for whole life insurance coverage.
With Term Life vs Whole Life Insurance let’s look into the detailed differences with those two types
The time period on term life insurance policies typically range from 1 to 30 years time .
When Life Insurance has an investment vehicle attached to it you now have whole life insurance coverage and monthly premiums will be paid for the rest of the insured’s life .
For Term Life Coverage it is basically pure life insurance with nothing else attached to it .
Combining life insurance and an investment does not make any sense but that is what whole life insurance is. Is there any reason why life insurance should be added to an investment?
Permanent Coverage or Whole Life means exactly that. You are paying on premiums for the rest of your life .
First of all we need to understand the reason for life insurance?
Life Insurance protects the income that the working spouse brings home to sustain the family and the dependents of the family. If something happened to that income the family could no longer survive . If something happened to the breadwinner then the life insurance is there to protect the family financially .
The parent(s) income is vital to the children (dependents) who cannot make money to survive on their own . At that time you no longer need it for that purpose .
There is no one that wants to throw money away at a lifetime of monthly life insurance premiums
Do not fall into trap of making anyone rich by buying life insurance . Death is not likely to happen while raising a family but life insurance is very important to have. If you continue to pay high premiums when you no longer need it you are just burning money . You are better off buying term coverage only for the time period for which it is needed .
The younger you are the lower the monthly premiums will be for life insurance. Once you purchase a policy the monthly premiums are fixed . Purchase Life Insurance coverage when the family needs the income protection and no other time.
By buying a term life insurance policy you can take those savings and invest it however which way you would like.
Are there positive notes in regards to whole life insurance?
It is sold to you as an investment for retirement / children’s college fund / emergency fund in which it will grow while being held by the company and you can “BORROW” from it and pay it back with interest .
It’s not my own money? Why must I borrow it?
That is how whole life insurance works. You borrow your own money and that loan to yourself is paid back with interest . The investment is called “CASH VALUE” which sounds incredible?
The real ripoff? During the first year of paying high monthly life insurance premiums you receive not one penny of cash value. Yes, that’s right . The investment portion kicks in the second year of your policy . The money that you paid to the insurer the 1st year is awarded to the salesperson who sold you that policy . Your hard earned money flows right through to paying a hefty commission for a whole life insurance policy salesperson.
When you have dependents (children) get term life insurance. If you don’t have dependents then you don’t need life insurance
Instead of purchasing a whole life insurance policy get term insurance and take the savings and invest it into a retirement account you manage and never have to borrow from . Always have 100% control of your funds so that you have the freedom to move it anywhere you choose . Keep away from Variable Universal / Permanent / Whole Life / Universal Life Insurance or any life insurance that has you placing money into an investment as part of your policy .
When comparing Term Life vs Whole Life Insurance you know have a good idea which insurance type to purchase .