The Pros and Cons of Group Term Life Insurance
3 min readGroup term life insurance is a way to cover a group of people for a set amount of time. It’s an affordable way to protect your family and save money on individual insurance. However, group term life insurance can limit your choice because it’s not entirely up to you. Your employer determines the level of coverage you’re eligible for. Moreover, you can’t continue your policy if you change jobs. This makes group term life insurance an unsuitable option for some people.
To avoid this problem, it’s wise to shop around for group term life insurance. Premium charges are based on the rates in the IRS Premium Table. You can find this table by referring to Publication 15-B PDF. However, premium costs above $50,000 may be taxable. The same rules apply for coverage amounts over $50,000. The higher the coverage amount, the higher the premium. If you want to avoid paying taxes on this benefit, you should shop around for the best possible deal.
Getting group life insurance can save you money because it’s cheaper than individual policies. Because it covers many people, the cost of the policy is spread out among many people. In addition, group coverage is typically easier to obtain than individual insurance. However, it has its downsides as well. In most cases, a group plan will not build cash value or be portable. It may also not cover your spouse or children. Further, group coverage may not be portable if you change jobs or stop working.
When you leave a job, your group term life insurance will likely expire. You may have to search elsewhere for life insurance or you can convert your plan to an individual policy. If you decide to convert your policy, be aware that your premiums will be higher since you are no longer covered by the group plan. In addition to this, if your health has deteriorated since you were covered under a group policy, you may find your premiums are higher.
Because group term life insurance is not tax deductible, it is best to compare coverage limits with individual policies to ensure you’re getting the most protection for your money. As long as you’re not taking out any coverage for your family, group term life insurance is an excellent choice for many people. The most common limitation of group term life insurance is that it’s not portable. However, if you want to make sure your family is properly insured, you can use a life insurance calculator.
Because group term life insurance is non-permanent, it’s usually free for employees to take out. Most employers offer up to $50,000 of group term coverage for their employees, so be sure to choose the correct plan based on your needs. Many employers stop at that level of coverage for tax reasons. It’s best to look at the individual plan you’re considering as a primary source of protection. As the name implies, group term life insurance doesn’t accumulate cash value and is designed to pay out a payout to the beneficiaries of a deceased person.