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Knowing The Importance Of Buy Term And Invest The Difference
Saturday, 19 December 2009 09:11 | Written by Zigfred Diaz
I am sure that some of us has heard of the saying "Buy term, invest the difference" when buying insurance and investment products. However do we really understand what this means? So why do most financial planners recommend that we should "buy term and invest the difference" while some insurance agents keep on bugging you to get their recommended product ?
I am sure that some of us has heard of the saying "Buy term, invest the difference" when buying insurance and investment products. However do we really understand what this means? So why do most financial planners recommend that we should "buy term and invest the difference" while some insurance agents keep on bugging you to get their recommended product ?
Most whole life insurance products in the market today are considered rip offs. In fact, these kinds of products have already been considered obsolete in the United States. (Term insurance refers to insurance with life coverage only, whole life on the other hand refers to term policy with an investment component. These kinds of products are usually presented as helping you "force" to save for retirement. The problem with the investment part is that they do not usually give a good rate of return) Sadly these type of products are still sold in the Philippines and people still buy them because of lack of financial literacy.
To drive home the point, let me give you an actual situation. Sometime last week, my mother asked me if she should continue paying an insurance product she got for my sister. The total price for it was about P 400,000.00 (Philippine Peso). Half of it is already been paid leaving a balance of P200,000.00.
According to her, the benefits of the insurance product are as follows; After 20 years, my sister who is still 18 years old will receive P 40,000.00 per annum until she reaches 65 years of age; At the age of 65 she can either choose to receive P400,000.00 lump sum or continue receiving P 40,000.00 until she dies, plus she is also insured for two million pesos for as long as she lives.
To determine whether she should pay the remaining balance of P200,000.00, the benefits of the insurance product must be pitted against the benefits of the "Buy term, invest the difference" strategy.
Under the insurance scheme, the total benefits my sister will be receiving is as follows; she will get a total of P1,520,000.00 at age 65. Plus she is insured for P2,000,000.00 giving total benefits of P 3,520,000.00.
Under the "buy term invest the difference scheme" since she has already paid partially for the insurance product she will convert what she has already paid into "term insurance" (That is if the insurance company allows it) This is usually good for only 20 years. The P 200,000.00 will then be invested at a vehicle of investment that gives about 10 %+ return per annum. The profits derived from the investment will also be re-invested in order to take full advantage of compounded interest. If she faithfully does this until she reaches the age of 65, she will get an estimated P17,639,497.05.
Now do you see the difference? What is P 1,500,000.00 vs. P 17,000,000.00+. Even if you add the insurance coverage that is only a mere P 3,500,000.00, it still cannot compare to the P 17,000,000.00.
Insurance protection is no problem. Term insurance is very cheap. In order to be protected if ever her investments will suffer losses, she will just buy term insurance an renew it every now and then.
The next thing you could probably ask, what investment vehicle would give me 10 % return per annum? Well there is and there are lots of them. You can put it in mutual funds. It does not guarantee a rate of return but historically most mutual fund companies give you more than 10 % return per annum especially if they are invested in equities. Now that the stock market is very bullish returns ranges from 40 % to more than 70 % per annum. You can even directly invest in the stock market. Even the most conservative investors in the stock market earn more than 10 % per annum.
Buy term invest the difference? It certainly does make sense!!!
by ZigfredDiaz
I am sure that some of us has heard of the saying "Buy term, invest the difference" when buying insurance and investment products. However do we really understand what this means? So why do most financial planners recommend that we should "buy term and invest the difference" while some insurance agents keep on bugging you to get their recommended product ?
Most whole life insurance products in the market today are considered rip offs. In fact, these kinds of products have already been considered obsolete in the United States. (Term insurance refers to insurance with life coverage only, whole life on the other hand refers to term policy with an investment component. These kinds of products are usually presented as helping you "force" to save for retirement. The problem with the investment part is that they do not usually give a good rate of return) Sadly these type of products are still sold in the Philippines and people still buy them because of lack of financial literacy.
To drive home the point, let me give you an actual situation. Sometime last week, my mother asked me if she should continue paying an insurance product she got for my sister. The total price for it was about P 400,000.00 (Philippine Peso). Half of it is already been paid leaving a balance of P200,000.00.
According to her, the benefits of the insurance product are as follows; After 20 years, my sister who is still 18 years old will receive P 40,000.00 per annum until she reaches 65 years of age; At the age of 65 she can either choose to receive P400,000.00 lump sum or continue receiving P 40,000.00 until she dies, plus she is also insured for two million pesos for as long as she lives.
To determine whether she should pay the remaining balance of P200,000.00, the benefits of the insurance product must be pitted against the benefits of the "Buy term, invest the difference" strategy.
Under the insurance scheme, the total benefits my sister will be receiving is as follows; she will get a total of P1,520,000.00 at age 65. Plus she is insured for P2,000,000.00 giving total benefits of P 3,520,000.00.
Under the "buy term invest the difference scheme" since she has already paid partially for the insurance product she will convert what she has already paid into "term insurance" (That is if the insurance company allows it) This is usually good for only 20 years. The P 200,000.00 will then be invested at a vehicle of investment that gives about 10 %+ return per annum. The profits derived from the investment will also be re-invested in order to take full advantage of compounded interest. If she faithfully does this until she reaches the age of 65, she will get an estimated P17,639,497.05.
Now do you see the difference? What is P 1,500,000.00 vs. P 17,000,000.00+. Even if you add the insurance coverage that is only a mere P 3,500,000.00, it still cannot compare to the P 17,000,000.00.
Insurance protection is no problem. Term insurance is very cheap. In order to be protected if ever her investments will suffer losses, she will just buy term insurance an renew it every now and then.
The next thing you could probably ask, what investment vehicle would give me 10 % return per annum? Well there is and there are lots of them. You can put it in mutual funds. It does not guarantee a rate of return but historically most mutual fund companies give you more than 10 % return per annum especially if they are invested in equities. Now that the stock market is very bullish returns ranges from 40 % to more than 70 % per annum. You can even directly invest in the stock market. Even the most conservative investors in the stock market earn more than 10 % per annum.
Buy term invest the difference? It certainly does make sense!!!
About the Author:
Would you like to know more about investment strategies ? Visit the blog of Zigfred Diaz where he blogs about several interesting topics such as investments, financial management, business, making financial online and Stock market investing