Chapter 11 - Life Insurance Flashcards

1
Q

Define Blackout Period

A

The period during which Social Security benefits are not paid to a surviving spouse - between the time the youngest child reaches age 16 and the surviving spouse’s sixtieth birthday.

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2
Q

Define Capital Retention Approach

A

The method used to estimate the amount of life insurance to own. Under this method, the insurance proceeds are retained and are not liquidated.

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3
Q

Define Cash-Surrender Value

A

Amount payable to the owner of the cash value life insurance policy if he or she decides that the insurance is no longer wanted. Calculated separately from the legal reserve.

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4
Q

Define Convertible

A

The term policy can be exchanged for a cash-value policy without evidence of insurability.

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5
Q

Define Current Assumption Whole Life Insurance

A

Nonparticipating whole life policy in which the cash values are based on the insurers current mortality, Investment, and expense experience. An accumulation account is credited with the current interest rate that changes over time. Also called interest sensitive whole life insurance.

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6
Q

Define Dependency Period

A

Period of time following the readjustment period during which the surviving spouse’s children are under 18 and, therefore, dependent on the parent.

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7
Q

Define Endowment Insurance

A

Type of life insurance that pays the face amount of insurance to the beneficiary if the insured dies within a specified period or to the policyholder if insured survives to the end of the period.

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8
Q

Define Estate Clearance Fund

A

The fund needed immediately when the family head dies

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9
Q

Define Group Life Insurance

A

Life insurance provided on a number of persons in a single master contract. Physical examinations are not required, and certificates of insurance are issued to members of the group as evidence of insurance.

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10
Q

Define Human Life Value

A

For purposes of life insurance, the present value of a family’s share of deceased breadwinner’s future earnings.

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11
Q

Define Indexed Universal Life Insurance

A

The variation of universal life insurance with certain key characteristics; there is a minimum interest rate guarantee; additional interest is credited to the policy based on the investment gains of a specific stock market index; and a formula determines the amount of enhanced (additional) interest credited to the policy.

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12
Q

Define Industrial (Home Service) Life Insurance

A

Type of life insurance in which policies are sold in small amounts and the premiums are collected weekly or monthly by a debit agent at the policyholder’s home

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13
Q

Define Legal Reserve

A

Liability item on the life insurers balance sheet representing the redundant or excessive premiums paid under the level premium method during the early years. Assets must be accumulated to offset the legal reserve liability. Purpose of the legal reserve is to provide lifetime protection.

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14
Q

Define Limited-Payment Policy

A

Type of full life insurance providing protection through the insured’s lifetime and for which relatively high premiums are paid only for a limited period.

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15
Q

Define Modified Life Policy

A

A whole life policy in which premiums are lower for the first three to five years and higher thereafter. The initial premium is slightly higher than for term insurance, but considerably lower than for a whole life policy issued at the same age.

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16
Q

Define Needs Approach

A

Method for estimating mount of life insurance appropriate for family by analyzing various family needs that must be met if the family head should die and converting them into specific amounts of life insurance. Financial assets are considered in determining the amount life insurance needed.

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17
Q

Define Net Amount At Risk

A

Concepts associated with level premium life insurance policy. Calculated as the the difference between the face amount of the policy and the legal reserve.

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18
Q

Define Ordinary Life Insurance

A

Type of whole life insurance providing protection through the insured’s lifetime and for which premiums are paid throughout the insured’s lifetime (or until 121 at which time you just get paid the face value).

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19
Q

Define Preferred Risks

A

Individuals whose mortality experience is expected to be better than average.

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20
Q

Define Premature Death

A

The death of a family head with outstanding unfulfilled financial obligations.

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21
Q

Define Readjustment Period

A

One-to-two-year period immediately following the breadwinner’s death during which time the family should receive approximately the same amount of income it received when the breadwinner was alive.

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22
Q

Define Reentry Term

A

A term life policy in which renewal periods are based on select (lower) mortality rates if the insured can periodically demonstrate acceptable evidence of insurability.

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23
Q

Define Renewable

A

When a policy can be renewed or additional periods without evidence of insurability.

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24
Q

Define Savings Bank Life Insurance

A

Life insurance originally sold by mutual savings banks in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut. Now sold in other states as well.

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25
Q

Define Second-To-Die Life Insurance

A

A form of life insurance sensors to her more lives and pays the death benefit upon the death of the second or last insured.

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26
Q

Define Single-Premium Whole Life Insurance

A

A whole life policy that provides lifetime protection with a single premium payment.

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27
Q

Define Term Insurance

A

Type of life insurance that provides temporary protection for a specified number of years with no savings element. It is usually renewable and convertible.

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28
Q

Define Universal Life Insurance

A

A flexible premium whole life policy that provides lifetime protection under a contract that separates the protection and savings components. The contract is an interest sensitive product that unbundles the protection, saving, and expense components.

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29
Q

Define Variable Life Insurance

A

Life insurance policy in which the death benefit and cash surrender values vary according to the investment experience of a separate account maintained by the insurer.

30
Q

Define Variable Universal Life Insurance

A

Similar to universal life insurance with certain exceptions. Cash values can be invested in a wide variety of investments; there is no minimum interest rate guarantee; and the investment risk falls entirely on the policy holder.

31
Q

Define Whole Life Insurance

A

A cash value policy that provides lifetime protection.

32
Q

Describe the financial impact of premature death on different types of families.

A

Single people-
don’t need large amounts of life insurance (no dependents)
Single-parent families- need for large amounts of life insurance on the family head is great
Two-income earners with children- both income earners need substantial amounts of life ins.
Traditional Families- The working parent in the labor force needs substantial amounts of life insurance,
Blended Families- the need for life ins. on both family heads is great.
Sandwiched families- needs a substantial amount of life ins.

33
Q

What is the major disadvantage of insuring minor children?

A

The major disadvantage in insuring minor children is that the family head may be inadequately insured.

34
Q

What are the three approaches which can be used to estimate the amount of life insurance to own?

A
  • Human life value approach
  • Needs approach
  • Capital retention approach
35
Q

How do you calculate life insurance needed when using the human life value approach?

A
  • Estimate the individual’s average annual earnings over his or her productive lifetime.
  • Deduct taxes, insurance premiums, and self-maintenance costs.
  • Using a reasonable discount rate, determine the present value of the family’s share of earnings for the number of years until retirement.
36
Q

What should the calculation of life insurance to own using the needs approach consider?

A
  • An estate clearance fund
  • Readjustment Period
  • Dependency Period
  • Blackout period
  • Special needs (college, emergencies)
37
Q

What is the purpose of the readjustment period?

A

To give the family time to readjust its standard of living.

38
Q

What are the three major reasons people delay buying life insurance?

A
  • Consumers believe insurance is too expensive to purchase.
  • Difficulty making correct decisions about the purchase of life insurance.
  • Procrastination and never getting around to buying life insurance.
39
Q

What are the two broad types of life insurance?

A
  • Term Insurance

- Cash-Value Life Insurance

40
Q

What are the basic characteristics of term insurance?

A
  • The period of protection is temporary
  • Most are renewable.
  • Most are convertible
  • No cash value or savings element.
41
Q

What are the two methods of converting a term policy?

A
  • Attained-Age Method - Premium charged based on the insured’s attained age at the time of conversion.
  • Original-Age Method - Premium is based on the insured’s original age when the term insurance was first purchased. (Most places require conversion to take place withing a certain period, such as five years, from the issue date of the term policy)
42
Q

What is the financial adjustment required by many insurers to convert term insurance based on the original-age method entail?

A

-The policyholders to pay the larger of:
-The difference in reserves (or cash values) under
policies being exchanged, or
-The difference between the premiums paid on the
term policy and those that would have been paid on
the new policy, with interest on the difference at a
specified rate.

43
Q

What are the six main varieties of term insurance?

A
  • Yearly renewable term
  • 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 year term
  • Term to age 65
  • Decreasing Term
  • Reentry Term
  • Return of premium term insurance.
44
Q

In what three situations is using term insurance appropriate?

A
  • If the amount of income that can be spent on life insurance is limited.
  • If the need for protection is temporary
  • To guarantee future insurability
45
Q

What are the two major limitations of term insurance?

A
  • Premiums increase with age at an increasing rate and eventually reach prohibitive levels.
  • Inappropriate if you wish to save money for a specific need.
46
Q

What are the two basic characteristics of ordinary life insurance?

A
  • Premiums are level through the premium-payment period.

- The accumulation of cash-surrender values.

47
Q

When is ordinary life insurance appropriate?

A
  • When lifetime protection is needed.

- To save money

48
Q

What is the major limitation of ordinary life insurance?

A

Some people are still under-insured after the policy is purchased.

49
Q

What are the two major limitations of cash-value life insurance as an appealing investment?

A
  • -The effective rate of return on the cash value is not disclosed to policyholders
  • the loading expenses when compared to competing investments is relatively high.
50
Q

What does it mean when a policy matures?

A

When the face amount is paid as a death claim or as an endowment.

51
Q

What does it mean when a policy is paid up?

A

When no additional premium payments are required.

52
Q

What are the five major variations of whole life insurance?

A
  • Variable life insurance
  • Universal life insurance
  • Indexed Universal life insurance
  • Indexed Variable life insurance
  • Current assumption whole life insurance
53
Q

What are the common features found in variable life insurance policies?

A
  • It is a permanent whole life contract with a fixed premium
  • The entire reserve is held in a separate account and is invested in common stocks or other investments.
  • Cash-surrender values are not guaranteed, and there are no minimum guaranteed cash values.
54
Q

What are five characteristics of universal life insurance?

A
  • Unbundling of protection and savings component
  • Two forms of universal life insurance
  • Considerable flexibility
  • Cash withdrawals permitted
  • Favorable income-tax treatment
55
Q

What is a target premium?

A

Suggested level of premium in universal life that will keep the policy in force for a specified number of years.

56
Q

What is a no-lapse guarantee?

A

In universal life, it is the guarantee that the policy will remain in effect for a certain number of years, if at least the minimum premium is paid.

57
Q

What is the mortality charge found in universal life policies?

A

The cost of the insurance protection.

58
Q

What is the guaranteed minimum interest rate found in universal life policies?

A

Rate guaranteed by the policy at which the cash value grows.

59
Q

What is the current rate found in universal life policies?

A

The rate actually received but not guaranteed, depends on market conditions and company experience.

60
Q

What two forms of universal life insurance are there?

A
  • One that pays a level death benefit during the early years. As the cash value increases over time, the net amount of risk declines. However, the death benefit increases during later years of the policy if the cash value reaches the Internal Revenue limits.
  • The other provides for an increasing death benefit. The death benefit is equal to a constant net amount of risk plus the accumulated cash value. If the cash value increases over time, the death benefit will increase.
61
Q

What is the corridor test?

A

Required by The Code, it is the factor that determines whether a universal life policy disqualifies for favorable income-tax treatment, happens if the cash values are excessive relative to the amount of risk.

62
Q

What are six ways that universal life insurance provides considerable flexibility when compared to traditional whole life products?

A
  • Policyholder determines the frequency and amount of premium payments. Discontinued premiums if cash value to pay mortality costs and expenses exists.
  • Face amount can be increased with evidence of insurability. (or reduced with no evidence).
  • Policy can be changed from a level death benefit to a death benefit equal to a specified face amount plus the policy cash value (with evidence of insurability)
  • The policyholder can add cash to the policy at any time, subject to maximum guideline limits that govern the relationship between the cash value and the death benefit (tax law limitations
  • Policy loans are permitted at competitive interest rates.
  • Policy permitting, additional insureds can be added.
63
Q

What are the four limitations of universal life?

A
  • Misleading rates of return (advertised rates are gross, not net)
  • Decline in interest rates - earlier cash-value and premium payment projections based on higher interest rates are misleading and invalid
  • Right to increase the mortality charge
  • Lack of firm commitment to pay premiums, making policy lapse.
64
Q

What are the key characteristics of indexed universal life insurance?

A
  • There is a minimum rate guarantee (usually lower than the min rate guarantee on regular universal life policy)
  • Additional interest may be credited to the policy based on the investment gains of a specific stock market index (dividends not included in return calculation)
  • There is a formula for determining the amount of enhanced interest credited to the policy.
  • Considerable consumer misunderstanding and unrealistic performance expectations under this type of policy.
65
Q

What is a participation rate found in indexed universal life insurance?

A

Policy may participate in stock market gains at a rate lower than 100% of the increase in the stock market index used, the actual rate is the participation rate.

66
Q

Variable universal life insurance is similar to a universal life policy except for what two exceptions?

A
  • The policyholder determines how the premiums are invested, which provides considerable investment flexibility.
  • Policy does not guarantee a minimum interest rate or cash value. (But policy may have a fixed income account, which may guarantee a minimum interest rate on the account value)
67
Q

What six expenses add to the reason that variable universal life can be so expensive?

A
  • Front-end load
  • Back-end surrender charge
  • State premium taxes and federal taxes
  • Investment management fees
  • Mortality and expense charges
  • Administrative costs.
68
Q

What is a nonparticipating policy?

A

Policy that does not pay dividends.

69
Q

What are the common features founds in current assumption whole life products? 5

A
  • An accumulation account reflects the cash value under the policy
  • If the policy is surrendered, a surrender charge is deducted from the accumulation account.
  • A guaranteed interest rate and current interest rate are used to determine cash values.
  • A fixed death benefit and maximum premium level at the time of issue are stated in the policy.
  • The premium is periodically redetermined or adjusted based on the actual experience of the block of policies since the last redetermination date. Depending on the policy, the redetermination can be done annually, every two years, or every five years.
70
Q

Name four life insurance policies to avoid.

A
  • Flight insurance
  • Credit life insurance
  • Accidental death and dismemberment insurance
  • Cash-value policies on children