| What it is: |
Cash value life insurance with long-term care or convalescent care riders. The riders can pre-pay the death benefit (and more) to reimburse expenses incurred for covered care services. |
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| Advantages: |
- Pays a death benefit if long-term care is not needed.
- May be funded with a single premium or with recurring premiums.
- Have cash values that may be accessed.
- Leverages the benefit value of “rainy day” money that goes into policy.
- May be suitable for tax-free exchanges from conventional life policies.
(Beware of surrender charges.)
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| Disadvantages: |
- Limited LTC plan design flexibility.
- Single premiums may be unaffordable to many clients.
- Modest cash value growth potential when compared with other accumulation products.
- Death benefit is reduced by amounts paid for LTC.
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| Look for: |
- Lifetime money back guarantee (single premium policies).
- Lifetime minimum benefit guarantee, or no lapse guarantee.
- Tax-qualified LTC riders that pay income tax-free LTC benefits.
- Extension rider that continues LTC benefits after life insurance death benefit is exhausted.
- If purchased with a single premium, no additional premiums required to fund LTC riders.
- Lifetime inflation protection option, with all additional cost built into the single premium.
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| Beware of: |
- Non tax-qualified LTC riders that may produce taxable LTC benefits.
- Policies that offer no extension riders.
- Market risks when variable life insurance is involved.
- Potential for future bills when the policy is advertised as a “single premium” product.
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