ABA United

Health insurance is increasingly important. With the rate at which medical expenses have continued to rise over previous years, and the reductions in government funded health care programs, being without health insurance is less an option today than ever. Many young people have never had to think about health insurance as their parents have always taken care of this aspect of life for them. But for many kids setting out for college, health insurance is one thing you can’t afford to forget about.

Be Aware

Everyone has specific health care needs, and young people often make the mistake of thinking they, as a group, do not need to worry about health care. While statistically, students may not be the biggest health care users, there are any number of unplanned events that can lead to you needing health care. If you don’t have insurance you’ll regret it. These can range from driving and sporting accidents, std’s and other illnesses, and travel insurance needs.

Whatever your specific needs, you might want to consider investing what’s on offer as part of student health care plans. They will often provide the right balance between protection and affordability that students are looking for.

Many students when they head off to college go out with the HMO network of their parent’s insurance plans and this will be another reason to investigate student health insurance. Many schools and colleges will have some form of insurance available if students require it. You will have to pay of course, but often, because of the amount of insurance they buy, they can negotiate better deals and prices than you would otherwise be able to find.

They can also have terms and coverage that suit you and the activities and needs you are likely to experience most closely. As with all insurance though, shop around. Just because it’s your college’s plan, doesn’t mean it’s the best option available to you. There are as many insurance plans, as there are customers these days, so you should see what’s available and make sure you are getting something you want and need before you hand over your money.

Health Insurance

In other cases, your school will require you to have some form of health insurance. This may be a condition before you can enrol. If you cannot afford a full traditional health plan, a student insurance plan may be more affordable and will allow you to meet your school’s insurance requirements.

Term insurance provides coverage for a pre-specified period. For example, term insurance is designed to protect a mortgage or provide income for your family in case of your death. You pay the term insurance premium each month and as long as you pay the premium your policy will stay in force. Once the contract reaches maturity (usually in 10 years) you need to renew your policy at a higher price. If you die while you’re paying the premium your estate gets a large sum of money.

In contrast, permanent or whole life insurance remains in force until you die. You pay the premium on a monthly basis for a pre-specified term, which can range between 10 to 20 years. A portion of your monthly payment pays the insurance and the life insurance company that provided the insurance invests the remainder. Eventually you don’t pay any premiums but your estate still receives a large payment upon death.

Whole life polices have been criticized because their investment returns are low. Thus you were often advised to buy life insurance protection with a term policy and invest the difference between term and whole life payments in a separate investment vehicle, such as mutual funds, stocks, or bonds. Once you have built up a large pool of assets you don’t need the insurance because the assets will provide security and stability in the event of an unexpected death.

However, there is a new, more flexible product called universal life insurance. While the life insurance company controls the savings in a whole life policy, the savings in a universal life plan are owned and controlled by the policyholder. Insurance companies offer a large variety of investment options for this savings component, including mutual funds. Thus, you have the ability to meet your life insurance needs and increase your return on investment.

The major advantage of a universal life policy is tax-advantaged growth. When you pay the policy premium, a portion of the premium pays for the insurance and a portion is invested. However, when you are ready to withdraw the money from your investment, your cost basis ( the portion not subject to tax) is higher with a universal life policy. The cost base for a universal policy is equal to the sum of all your premiums – the amount of money you have invested plus the money you have used to buy life insurance. This is very useful because increasing your cost base will ensure you pay less tax once you sell your investments within the universal life policy.

Universal life insurance provides a powerful combination of life insurance and tax-advantaged investment opportunities. Investors should realize that universal life insurance premiums work twice as hard as other premiums. They should also know that choosing the right product is an important element in the overall success of this strategy. Finally, the benefits of this strategy are magnified if you are in a higher tax bracket.