Insurance Products Articles
The Truth About Annuities and Inflation
March 2023 by Stan Haithcock
While there is no annuity strategy that perfectly solves for inflation, specific types of annuities can lessen its sting.
March 2023 by Stan Haithcock
While there is no annuity strategy that perfectly solves for inflation, specific types of annuities can lessen its sting.
The Value of Annuities Varies by Type & Purchaser
March 2022 by Dylan Dease
Recent changes to annuities raise the question of whether these investments are more costly than beneficial.
March 2022 by Dylan Dease
Recent changes to annuities raise the question of whether these investments are more costly than beneficial.
Index Universal Life: The Latest Risky Life Insurance Product
May 2015 by Peter Katt
Index universal life policies are being pitched with crediting rates that look to be too good and follow several past problematic products.
May 2015 by Peter Katt
Index universal life policies are being pitched with crediting rates that look to be too good and follow several past problematic products.
What Is a Longevity Annuity?
November 2014 by Stan Haithcock
Longevity annuities provide a guaranteed source of income starting at a future date. One type, QLACs, can be held in 401(k) plans.
November 2014 by Stan Haithcock
Longevity annuities provide a guaranteed source of income starting at a future date. One type, QLACs, can be held in 401(k) plans.
Life Insurance Cash Value: A Practical Discussion
January 2014 by Peter Katt
Borrowing against or withdrawing the cash value of a policy will reduce the death benefit and could put the policy at risk of lapsing.
January 2014 by Peter Katt
Borrowing against or withdrawing the cash value of a policy will reduce the death benefit and could put the policy at risk of lapsing.
Long-Term Care of Your Personal Finances
January 2014 by Christine S. Fahlund
Long-term care covers the costs of assistance with daily living activities and can protect your financial stability. Pay attention to a policy’s condition triggers and elimination periods.
January 2014 by Christine S. Fahlund
Long-term care covers the costs of assistance with daily living activities and can protect your financial stability. Pay attention to a policy’s condition triggers and elimination periods.
The Costs of Owning an Annuity
September 2013 by Stan Haithcock
Costs vary by the type of annuity purchased, but typically include disclosed annual costs, built-in commissions, opportunity costs and tax liabilities.
September 2013 by Stan Haithcock
Costs vary by the type of annuity purchased, but typically include disclosed annual costs, built-in commissions, opportunity costs and tax liabilities.
A Primer on Insurance Products
July 2012 by Peter Katt
Practical commentary on using life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance and annuity products.
July 2012 by Peter Katt
Practical commentary on using life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance and annuity products.
Life Insurance and Estate Gifting
March 2012 by Peter Katt
Potential changes in the tax law next year make it a smart estate-planning strategy to give as a large of a gift now as possible.
March 2012 by Peter Katt
Potential changes in the tax law next year make it a smart estate-planning strategy to give as a large of a gift now as possible.
Life Insurance: Managing Premiums and Policy Maturity
June 2011 by Peter Katt
Many participating whole life policies and universal life policies have death benefits that mature between ages 95 and 100, making routine management a necessity.
June 2011 by Peter Katt
Many participating whole life policies and universal life policies have death benefits that mature between ages 95 and 100, making routine management a necessity.
The Role of Inflation-Indexed Annuities
March 2011 by Paula Hogan
These annuities provide a stream of payments that adjust for inflation in return for a single premium payment.
March 2011 by Paula Hogan
These annuities provide a stream of payments that adjust for inflation in return for a single premium payment.
Variable Universal Life: Astute Management Required
September 2010 by Peter Katt
The inherent volatility of equity sub-accounts makes this a very different type of life insurance.
September 2010 by Peter Katt
The inherent volatility of equity sub-accounts makes this a very different type of life insurance.
The Pitfalls of Life Settlements
May 2010 by Peter Katt
Life settlements are often unfavorable due to high commissions and a lack of transparency.
May 2010 by Peter Katt
Life settlements are often unfavorable due to high commissions and a lack of transparency.
Lightening the Financial Load of Life Insurance Products
May 2009 by Peter Katt
Decisions about financial assets come under stress in difficult economic times. A look at four helpful ways of managing life insurance during such periods.
May 2009 by Peter Katt
Decisions about financial assets come under stress in difficult economic times. A look at four helpful ways of managing life insurance during such periods.
Insurance Products and Taxes: Keeping Uncle Sam at Bay
June 2008 by Peter Katt
Taxes are a fact of American life that impact many areas, including life and disability income insurance. Understanding the relationship between insurance and taxes is important. A look at several tax issues.
June 2008 by Peter Katt
Taxes are a fact of American life that impact many areas, including life and disability income insurance. Understanding the relationship between insurance and taxes is important. A look at several tax issues.
The Unsettled State of the Life Settlement Market
September 2007 by Peter Katt
Is your old policy worth more than its surrender value? That's what the life settlement market would have many older policyholders believe. But usually the transactions make little sense--unless you are the agent earning an enormous commission. Why it pays to be wary.
September 2007 by Peter Katt
Is your old policy worth more than its surrender value? That's what the life settlement market would have many older policyholders believe. But usually the transactions make little sense--unless you are the agent earning an enormous commission. Why it pays to be wary.
Protect Your Assets: Don't Neglect Disability Insurance
August 2007 by Michael P. Franks
Disability insurance protects a valuable asset--a worker's ability to earn a living. What to look for in your disability coverage--and how to ensure that you have enough insurance.
August 2007 by Michael P. Franks
Disability insurance protects a valuable asset--a worker's ability to earn a living. What to look for in your disability coverage--and how to ensure that you have enough insurance.
What You Need to Know About Immediate Annuities
May 2007 by Peter Katt
Immediate annuities can be a valuable retirement asset for retirees willing to exchange principal for guaranteed lifetime income. What to look for in an immediate annuity.
May 2007 by Peter Katt
Immediate annuities can be a valuable retirement asset for retirees willing to exchange principal for guaranteed lifetime income. What to look for in an immediate annuity.
Annuities: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
July 2006 by Peter Katt
Annuities seem to be more popular than ever, but most of this has been driven by marketing. A review of the annuity products available—and which ones are really advantageous for individual investors.
July 2006 by Peter Katt
Annuities seem to be more popular than ever, but most of this has been driven by marketing. A review of the annuity products available—and which ones are really advantageous for individual investors.
Why You Should Avoid Investor-Initiated Life Insurance
May 2006 by Peter Katt
Individuals’ altruistic instincts are being tapped by a life insurance marketing scheme that has been coined “investor-initiated life insurance.” Although it may sound intriguing, this is something that you want to avoid.
May 2006 by Peter Katt
Individuals’ altruistic instincts are being tapped by a life insurance marketing scheme that has been coined “investor-initiated life insurance.” Although it may sound intriguing, this is something that you want to avoid.
Tax-Advantage Opportunities With Cash Value Life Insurance
November 2005 by Peter Katt
Life insurance has exceptional income tax characteristics that are sometimes overlooked by advisors focusing only on term insurance. A look at three situations where the tax advantages can benefit your portfolio.
November 2005 by Peter Katt
Life insurance has exceptional income tax characteristics that are sometimes overlooked by advisors focusing only on term insurance. A look at three situations where the tax advantages can benefit your portfolio.
Variable Life Illustrations and the Problem of Stock Volatility
July 2005 by Peter Katt
Variable life insurance policy illustrations can present a highly misleading picture to buyers who will be investing the policy primarily in equity subaccounts. Simulations of how the policy will fare based on various stock market results can paint a truer picture of how your premiums may change over time—and the risk of policy faliure if you neglect to adjust.
July 2005 by Peter Katt
Variable life insurance policy illustrations can present a highly misleading picture to buyers who will be investing the policy primarily in equity subaccounts. Simulations of how the policy will fare based on various stock market results can paint a truer picture of how your premiums may change over time—and the risk of policy faliure if you neglect to adjust.
What You Need to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance
May 2005 by Paula Hogan
Custodial care is expensive and can easily drain financial resources. Because of this, the decision to buy long-term care insurance has become an important financial planning issue. What you need to know.
May 2005 by Paula Hogan
Custodial care is expensive and can easily drain financial resources. Because of this, the decision to buy long-term care insurance has become an important financial planning issue. What you need to know.
What You Need to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance
May 2005 by Paula Hogan
Custodial care is expensive and can easily drain financial resources. Because of this, the decision to buy long-term care insurance has become an important financial planning issue. What you need to know.
May 2005 by Paula Hogan
Custodial care is expensive and can easily drain financial resources. Because of this, the decision to buy long-term care insurance has become an important financial planning issue. What you need to know.
No-Lapse Premium Guarantee Policies: The Risks Revealed
November 2004 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products: Companies selling no-lapse premium guarantee life insurance policies may have additional solvency risks—a vital consideration if you are considering them as a new or replacement policy.
November 2004 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products: Companies selling no-lapse premium guarantee life insurance policies may have additional solvency risks—a vital consideration if you are considering them as a new or replacement policy.
Estate Planning and Insurance: Does Premium Financing Make Sense?
July 2004 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products: Financing permanent life insurance premiums through third-party lenders may not live up to the marketers' promises. Factors to consider before looking at this option.
July 2004 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products: Financing permanent life insurance premiums through third-party lenders may not live up to the marketers' promises. Factors to consider before looking at this option.
Variable Life Insurance: Be Wary of Policy 'Delusions'
November 2003 by Peter Katt
Variable life illustrations create an illusion of predictability that simply doesn't exist. In addition, variable life's expenses are higher than participation whole life.
November 2003 by Peter Katt
Variable life illustrations create an illusion of predictability that simply doesn't exist. In addition, variable life's expenses are higher than participation whole life.
The Potential Problems With No-Lapse Premium Guarantees
July 2003 by Peter Katt
Agents selling no-lapse premium-guarantee policies rarely utter a discouraging word about them in their sales rhetoric. But there is only one planning area where they are a good option.
July 2003 by Peter Katt
Agents selling no-lapse premium-guarantee policies rarely utter a discouraging word about them in their sales rhetoric. But there is only one planning area where they are a good option.
A Life Settlement Update; and Life Insurance in Pension Plans
May 2003 by Peter Katt
Life settlements involve the selling of unneeded or no longer affordable life insurance policies. If selling is the decision, you need to be aware of how to deal with the various types of life settlement firms.
May 2003 by Peter Katt
Life settlements involve the selling of unneeded or no longer affordable life insurance policies. If selling is the decision, you need to be aware of how to deal with the various types of life settlement firms.
Hard-to-Spot Differences in Tax Loopholes vs. Tax Scams
November 2002 by Peter Katt
Permanent life insurance is often associated with tax avoidance schemes. It appears that promoters of these schemes feel it sells better if tagged with the "tax loophole" label, because this gives them more apparent legitimacy.
November 2002 by Peter Katt
Permanent life insurance is often associated with tax avoidance schemes. It appears that promoters of these schemes feel it sells better if tagged with the "tax loophole" label, because this gives them more apparent legitimacy.
Life Insurance Issues to Be Wary of: Surrender Charges & Leaps of Faith
July 2002 by Peter Katt
There are many permanent life insurance policies that have zero surrender value for as long as five years, and very depressed surrender values for as long as 15 or 20 years. Why insurance buyers don't notice this.
July 2002 by Peter Katt
There are many permanent life insurance policies that have zero surrender value for as long as five years, and very depressed surrender values for as long as 15 or 20 years. Why insurance buyers don't notice this.
Does It Make Sense to Sell Your Life Insurance Policy?
May 2002 by Peter Katt
Policy sellers beware: Life-settlement firms are pursuing their own financial interests, and have extensive pricing expertise to do so--an advantage that individual policyholders can't match when evaluating a possible sale.
May 2002 by Peter Katt
Policy sellers beware: Life-settlement firms are pursuing their own financial interests, and have extensive pricing expertise to do so--an advantage that individual policyholders can't match when evaluating a possible sale.
Variable Life Insurance Policies and Stock Market Volatility
November 2001 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products: The life insurance industry has treated variable life as just a better-performing version of whole life and universal life without realizing that inherent investment volatility makes variable life a very different kind of life insurance.
November 2001 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products: The life insurance industry has treated variable life as just a better-performing version of whole life and universal life without realizing that inherent investment volatility makes variable life a very different kind of life insurance.
Vanishing-Premium Policy Designs: The Good and the Bad
February 1998 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products Column: Minimum-premium-to-maximum-death-benefit vanishing-premium policies are inherently flawed, but there are other vanishing-premium policy designs that can be useful.
February 1998 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products Column: Minimum-premium-to-maximum-death-benefit vanishing-premium policies are inherently flawed, but there are other vanishing-premium policy designs that can be useful.
Be Wary of Products Marketed Mainly for Tax-Advantaged Status
April 1996 by Peter Katt
In the quest for more tax advantages, some insurance products go too far. A rundown of designs that demand a skeptic's eye.
April 1996 by Peter Katt
In the quest for more tax advantages, some insurance products go too far. A rundown of designs that demand a skeptic's eye.
Insurance Products and the Needs of the 50-Something Individual
February 1996 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products Column: A look at the role insurance products can play in the investment needs of the fiftysomehting individual.
February 1996 by Peter Katt
Insurance Products Column: A look at the role insurance products can play in the investment needs of the fiftysomehting individual.