A permanent life insurance policy including whole life insurance and universal life insurance has a face value and a cash value, which are two distinct values.
The face value is the death benefit. The policy owner’s beneficiaries will receive this amount when he or she dies. This number can be found in the policy’s schedule of benefits.
The cash value is the amount you would receive if you terminated your insurance early, giving up the death benefit in return for money upfront. These are shown on monthly statements sent by insurers to their customers.
The cash value may also be referred to as the cash surrender value.
In most circumstances, the face amount of life insurance is exempt from taxes.
What is The Face Value Of A Life Insurance Policy?
What is the face amount of a life insurance policy? The face value of life insurance is the dollar amount that your life insurance policy is worth. It is also called the death benefit or the face amount of life insurance. When your policy expires, the beneficiary will receive this amount of money.
What is The Cash Value Of A Life Insurance Policy?
The cash value is a savings component of permanent life insurance used as an investment feature. The cash value earns interest over time. If you need this money for an emergency, you may be able to withdraw or borrow against it.
Life Insurance Face Value vs. Cash Value While Alive
Most life insurance companies also offer add-ons called living benefits, which are extra features that can be included in a plan. A living benefit rider is a separate coverage on your basic life insurance policy that supplements certain benefits and safeguards you at an extra cost.
Living Benefits essentially allow the insured to spend the face value while alive. You may spend the living benefits on things like medical costs, among other expenses. With that said, when you die, your beneficiaries will get a lower life insurance payment because you used a portion of the policy previously.
Taxes
- Cash Value: When withdrawing from the life insurance policy’s cash value, any interest earned could be subject to ordinary income taxes.
- Face Value: When taking a loan from the face value or utilizing a living benefit, the income withdrawn could be tax-free.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the difference between cash value and face value in life insurance, it’s time to get a quote. Request one today and see how much money you could save by protecting your loved ones.
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