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Whole Life Insurance Policy

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If you plan on pursuing a life insurance policy that pays dividends, here are a few things that you need regarding paying taxes on the dividends and the types of policies available to you.
The IRS does not require you to pay taxes on dividends from life insurance as long as they do not exceed the premiums paid on the policy.
The insurance company that provides your life insurance pays policyholders dividends from its profits.
You can only earn dividends on whole-life insurance policies. Term life insurance policies normally do not build up cash values.

Life Insurance Dividends and Taxes
The dividends you earn on life insurance policies are not taxable, according to the IRS. The rule of thumb is since policyholders essentially paid for …show more content…

Term Life Insurance
As you start to comparison shop for life insurance, you should know the difference between whole life insurance policies and term life insurance policies. Whole life insurance policies, also known as permanent life insurance policies, offer you coverage throughout the course of your life. The premiums on whole life policies are usually fixed, and some policies provide you with a savings feature through dividend payments. One of the biggest benefits of whole life policies is that you can increase the cash value over time. As the cash value of your policy increases, you can access that money as a loan against your life insurance policy.

Term life insurance policies offer you coverage for a specific period of time according to the terms of the contract. In order for your beneficiaries to receive a death benefit, you must die within the terms of the policy. Term life insurance is usually cheaper than whole life, and the premiums for term life are generally less expensive. However, term life does not offer you a savings feature through dividend payments.

Using Dividends from a Life Insurance …show more content…

You can request that the insurance company use the proceeds to reduce future premium payments. You can also request a check for the dividend payments from the insurance company, but you must keep in mind that you may have to pay dividend taxes on the funds from the check. Additionally, many insurance companies offer you the option of keeping the dividends with the company and you earn interest on the dividends. However, the IRS considers the interest earned on the dividends as taxable income. The IRS does not tax the actual dividends, but it does tax the interest that you earn from the dividends.

Choosing the Right Insurance Company
Since no two policies or insurance companies are the same, you must choose who pays dividends and how they pay their dividends carefully. While you are comparison shopping, find out if the companies will pay their dividends in the form of checks and calculate whether or not you can earn a higher yield in another investment vehicle. You should determine how the dividends from your life insurance policy fit into your financial future. Ask yourself if the dividends are just a way to lower your premium payments in the future or are the dividends a large part of your retirement plan.

Additional Tips on Buying Life

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