“I have often said that if people truly understood this product, that they would line up around the block to purchase it. That product is participating (dividend-paying) mutual whole-life insurance.”
– Todd Langford, Truth Concepts financial software
“Is Whole Life Insurance a Good Investment?”
Perhaps no question has generated as much controversy on financial blogs and forums as this one.
Indeed, The White Coat Investor website’s most popular post on whole life insurance (written by a self-appointed, unlicensed financial “expert” who is a full-time physician) has generated over 800 comments from both fans and foes of whole life. The posts begins with a warning that the comments may take “over 4 hours to read,” and links to further articles that reveal the author’s limited understanding of the product. Financial planning with insurance is a curious hot button.
“Typical” advisors, media-hyped financial gurus and bloggers say, “Stay away from whole life insurance!” Meanwhile, many passionate agents and advisors try in vain to correct the misconceptions, irritating others who believe their enthusiasm is motivated only by commissions.
And regardless of which side of the fence the opinions fall, both sides often get their facts wrong, and few seem to understand the role of saving and liquidity in an investor’s personal economy. The long-term, generational benefits of both cash value and death benefit are often overlooked. Diversification is also poorly understood, and the fact that you can’t have all of your dollars in equities (or even in stocks and bonds) and be properly “diversified.”
We have noted in a related article about whole life insurance that it is not properly classified as an investment, however, it IS an EXCELLENT place to store cash for many investors. Our Ultimate Guide to Financial Planning Myths is another excellent resource for learning how insurance really works.
But what is the TRUTH about whole life insurance RETURNS?
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Todd Strobel and Kim D.H. Butler sit down to talk about the truths in life insurance returns. Todd breaks down the gross returns and how it’s offset by your policy’s expenses. Kim analyzes what returns for life insurance in 2015 look like. Finally, they implore listeners, if you have any 
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