Life Insurance

The Eight Elements of Extended Care Riders – Element…

Presented by  Brian Leising Finding the right formula for each client Not all extended care riders on life insurance policies are created equally. Do you know the differences? Different combinations will appeal to different clients more than others. Here are eight of the major distinguishing features among insurance companies offering extended care riders. All include some combination of the eight elements. This allows you to find the right formula for each client.
Premium Payments Benefit Qualification Benefit Amount
Pf Payment Frequency Pa Payment Amount
Lg Lapse Guarantee Tc Tax Code Pm Payment Method
Wp Waiver of Premium Ep Elimination Period If Inflation
Element 2 – No-lapse guarantee One of the primary reasons clients give for purchasing life insurance-based extended care plans over traditional extended care policies is the fact their premium will never change. As a health insurance product, traditional LTC polices are subject to rate increases. Good luck keeping your clients happy when they receive a rate increase notice of 50% or more! With a no-lapse guarantee universal life or a whole life based contract, your clients never have to worry about future rate increases. Everything is in their control. If they pay their premiums on time, every time, take no loans or withdrawals, their premiums are guaranteed to remain level. Some companies also offer life insurance without guarantees for their extended care riders. These need to be monitored regularly to ensure they maintain enough cash value to remain in force. Look for Element 3 – Waiver of Premium in March.
Life Insurance

The Eight Elements of Extended Care Riders – Element…

Presented by Brian Leising Finding the right formula for each client Not all extended care riders on life insurance policies are created equally. Do you know the differences? Different combinations will appeal to different clients more than others. Here are eight of the major distinguishing features among insurance companies offering extended care riders. All include some combination of the eight elements. This allows you to find the right formula for each client.
Premium Payments Benefit Qualification Benefit Amount
Pf Payment Frequency Pa Payment Amount
Lg Lapse Guarantee Tc Tax Code Pm Payment Method
Wp Waiver of Premium Ep Elimination Period If Inflation
Element 1 – Payment frequency Life insurance policies with extended care benefits come in single-pay or multi-pay varieties. The single-pay plans were the first life insurance based extended care plans on the market. Clients pay one lump sum into a modified endowment contract (MEC) which is leveraged to purchase a death benefit and a long term care (LTC) benefit. In many situations, the death benefit approximately doubles the lump sum and the total long term care benefit nearly triples the lump sum. This policy design works well for clients with money already set aside to “self-insure” their extended care risk. Potential clients for multi-pay policies comprise a much larger market and account for most sales. These are funded with recurring (annual, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly) premiums and are an affordable option for clients who are used to paying for all their insurance policies (auto, homeowners, traditional LTC, health) in this manner. Look for Element 2 – No-lapse guarantee in February.
Life Insurance

The Greatest Threat to Retirement Assets

Presented by Brian Leising

(HINT: It’s not the stock market!)

How many of your clients have protected their assets from the greatest threat they face in retirement, the high costs of extended care? What happens to clients and their families with no protection from this risk? What excuses do clients give for not taking action and protecting their assets? What do consumers have now? Right now most people don’t have a plan at all. Some have traditional long term care insurance (LTC) policies, and others have personal funds set aside for LTC expenses. What’s wrong with that? Whether clients think they have a plan or not, they have a plan. No plan is a plan. That means they will use their own money until it runs out and they go on welfare (known by the fancy name Medicaid), leaving nothing for their spouse and children. Consumers state one of two objections to purchasing traditional LTC policies: 1) “The rates may go up”; or 2) “What if I die and never need to use my policy? I don’t want to waste my money. “ Even those with money set aside are not leveraging their funds as much as possible. What’s a possible solution? Linked-benefit life insurance policies allow clients to use their death benefit to pay for LTC expenses. The rates are guaranteed and premiums are never wasted as the full benefit is always paid to someone, themselves if they require care or their heirs if they don’t. In lump sum situations, you can double the money to heirs and triple that sum for LTC, with a return of premium option. Now you can protect your clients’ assets from the greatest threat they face in retirement; by showing them how their life insurance policy can be used for extended care expenses; so they don’t have to worry about rate increases or “wasting” premium dollars.
Life Insurance

MYTH: “I won’t need life insurance when I retire.”

Presented by Brian Leising

Four responses you can use with your clients.

3- Really? So, that means you will be a statistical anomaly and won’t need extended care services?

According to AALTCI, over 70% of Americans over age 65 today will need some form of extended care services before they die. Most life insurance companies now offer policies that perform two functions, they pay a death benefit when you die and a living benefit when you require long term care services. Retirement plans diminish quickly when long term care expenses are withdrawn in addition to regular living expenses. Since hybrid plans are so readily available, why pay for separate policies when you could have two plans in one?

See response #4 next week.

Long Term Care and Disability Insurance

It’s time to break the ice on the topic…

Presented by Donna Ries Even a short time spent talking today with your clients can help them avoid years of dealing with the consequences of hasty, sporadic decisions later on. We all age and most people end up needing help in some shape or form. Discussing possible scenarios with your clients won’t make them happen. Actually helping your clients prepare for their extended care planning will mean less work, stress, worry and regret later on for them and their family. Addressing tough topics now will allow your clients to enjoy their time ahead. One way to start the conversation is by stating that most people expect to live a long life, right? Ask your clients if they have thought about the impact this may have on their spouse, children, family or friends and if they are concerned about being a burden to them. The care many people may require later in life are costs often paid out of pocket. Even substantial savings can quickly be spent for extended care. Some questions to consider are where your clients would like to live and who can they rely on for help. The people they consider for help may be caregivers that live miles away. The extra burden for the caregivers could result in consequences for them such as missed work, lost wages, and exhaustion that will ultimately not allow them to care for the family member in need. Is it realistic to expect a spouse to care for their loved one? It’s time to make a plan now for your client’s long term care needs. Ask your LTC marketer about how to discuss with your clients a plan for the possibility of needing extended care. Discuss such topics as: – Helping your clients pay for care in the setting they prefer. – Thinking of LTC as anti-nursing home insurance. – Avoiding the risk of depleting a lifetime of savings with Partnership protected LTC policies. – Gaining peace of mind when extended care decisions need to be made. – Continuing to benefit from the life your clients have planned.