What Can You Do if You Can No Longer Afford Your Life Insurance Policy?

a pile of coins

Many people are affected by financial issues at some point in their life. Job loss, divorce, retirement, and inability to work due to illness or injury could reduce your income. You may also need to adjust your budget due to rising costs of essentials, such as groceries, rent, energy bills, and health insurance. Financial challenges may prompt individuals to assess their expenses and find ways to cut costs.

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your expenses, you may be wondering if you can eliminate the monthly premiums you pay for your life insurance policy. Fortunately, there are some options you can prevent paying additional premiums and use your life insurance policy to obtain a cash payment you can use for your personal needs.

Cash in your life insurance policy.

You may be able to eliminate your monthly premium expenses if you have a policy that accrues cash value. With policies that accrue value, you may be able to use revenue generated by your policy to pay for your monthly premiums.

You can also contact your insurance company and determine if your policy has a cash-in value. Many life insurance policies can be cashed in and terminated. You’ll receive a payout for your policy and nullify your need to pay future premiums. Although cashing your policy in is a simple process, it may not be the most profitable. It’s a good idea to explore other alternatives before choosing this option.

Pursue a life settlement.

Instead of cashing in your life insurance policy, you can consult a life settlement broker to determine if you qualify for a life settlement. With a life settlement, a third party buys your insurance policy. The buyer assumes responsibility for the monthly premiums, which eliminates that expense from your budget. You receive a single cash payout worth more than the policy’s cash-in value but less than its death benefit, and the buyer becomes the policy’s beneficiary. You may be required to pay income tax on money you receive, but there are no restrictions on how the remaining funds can be used.

Qualify for a viatical settlement.

Viatical settlements are excellent options for people with terminal illnesses, such as cancer patients or chronic illnesses. Viatical settlement providers in the United States may review your medical records to ensure you qualify for a viatical settlement. The viatical settlement company then secures a third party who will buy your life insurance policy. Google “viatical settlements by American Life Fund” and learn more about the benefits of working with experienced viatical settlement providers.

The critical difference between viatical settlements and life settlements is that viatical settlements pay more because the life expectancy for ill patients is shorter. You don’t have to pay income tax on the lump sum of cash you receive, and no restrictions govern how you can use your funds. Whether you opt to pay for medical bills, personal expenses, or a dream vacation is up to you.

Explore other options for reducing your expenses.

img

If selling your life insurance doesn’t do enough to reduce your budget, you could consider purchasing or renting a recreational vehicle (RV) and living out of an RV. Perhaps you’re retiring and planning to move south or have a chronic illness that prevents you from working. You can opt to rent a site at an RV park.

Staying at an RV park can give you access to necessary amenities, such as laundry facilities, bathrooms, water, and electricity, without breaking your budget. You can also opt to purchase a camper and stay at campgrounds while you travel through various states. Moving into an RV full-time is an effective way to downsize and reduce your expenses. It’s also possible that selling your home and moving into a camper may enable you to retain your life insurance policy if you choose.

Several options will enable you to eliminate the monthly premiums you pay for your life insurance policy. You can opt to cash in your policy, pursue a life settlement, or determine if you qualify for a viatical settlement. You can also look for other ways to reduce your monthly expenses to retain your life insurance policy if you choose.