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Life insurance has existed for nearly two centuries as essential planning tool that protects dependents from the risk of a breadwinner’s untimely death. However, given the unique investment properties of life insurance, financial planners are finding a number of ways it can be used in other ways to enhance portfolio returns while reducing risk.

All of the various forms of life insurance – whole life, term life, variable life, universal life and the dozens of variations of each – can be distilled down to just two types: Term and Permanent.

When most people think about life insurance, it is something to be purchased when we’re young with financial responsibilities and dependents to protect. Any discussion about purchasing life insurance after we retire is often met with strong opinions as to whether or not it makes any financial sense. After all, the cost of life insurance increases significantly over the age of 65.

Life insurance is universally recognized as an essential pillar of a financial plan for providing much needed capital in the event of a breadwinner. It is also fundamental to other planning needs, such as estate planning to pay for settlement costs and taxes, and business planning for business continuation or key person protection. However, considering the remarkable tax properties of permanent life insurance, it should also be considered as foundational planning tool for an entire financial plan. Here are three reasons why:

It’s no surprise that studies show young adults are not into insurance. There are too many other financial challenges to worry about, such as paying off crushing student loan debt and saving for future goals. Actually, other studies show that younger adults would rather spend their money on such things as travel premium TV streaming services than use it to buy life insurance. Most are quick to spend $120 a year to insure an $800 cell phone, but, very few would consider spending a few dollars more each year to insure their lives.

The short answer is yes, in a number of ways. However, rather than just take it at face value, a closer examination of the two different types of investments will reveal how they differ in the amount of safety investors should expect from each. 

It is not often that the topics of life insurance and annuities are brought up in the same discussion, primarily because they serve two very distinct purposes. Although they are both products of life insurance companies, life insurance policies are protection against dying too soon, and annuities are protection against living to long.

The annuity industry must have studied the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears because, after recognizing that investors weren’t very keen on low fixed yields or the vicious volatility of the stock market, they came up with a product, that for most people, would seem to be just right – Indexed Annuities.

Most financial planners agree that life insurance is essential for protecting families against financial loss, which is why many recommend purchasing the maximum amount needed at the cheapest cost using a term policy. Where they start to diverge in their thinking is in any discussion about life insurance as an asset. Clearly, term life insurance would not be considered an asset as it is purely a death benefit with no savings element.