Cancel or keep converted whole life policy?
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I think I know what to do here, but I’m struggling to actually do it, and I’d like help being decisive.
I left a job one year ago after I was diagnosed with cancer, and I “converted” my life insurance under their group term life policy into a whole life policy at MetLife. MetLife said my job did not offer “portability”, which might have let me instead get a term policy. Approx. $100,000 in coverage for $190/month ($2250/year), paid up at age 100. I converted the policy because it seemed like a good - if very unfortunate - wager for my heirs.
I’m now in remission (yay!), but I think odds are that I’ll still die younger than average. The policy still seems like a good wager, but I don’t need this insurance, and it’s far more expensive than the other insurance I have. I think I should cancel it, but I’m struggling to bring myself to do so. Help convince me? Or tell me why I should keep it?
I have other life insurance - a total of over $750,000 through a term policy I bought in my 20’s plus a new group policy issued by my new job. This $100,000 probably won’t change any of my heirs’ lives as much as the $750,000+.
Age 42, male.
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@pianopanic - First, congratulations on being in remission… That’s definitely great news and I wish you the best!
I am a life/disability broker who has helped many previous FWF members and would be happy to help. You had mentioned that you also have a $750k term policy that you took out in your 20’s. Since you are now 42, is that term policy a 20-30yr term? If so, most term policies allow you to convert the policy (much like you did with your group life policy with MetLife), while avoiding all medical underwriting. What that means to you, is that you should be able to convert all or a portion of that $750k term policy to a permanent form of insurance (either Universal Life or Whole Life), which would probably be much more competitively-priced than that group MetLife policy. I would also imagine that you probably were approved at either Preferred Plus or Preferred NT rates on your existing $750k term policy, which at your age of 42, shouldn’t make the conversion option as costly - We’d just have to run the numbers.
Anyway, if you happen to know the name of the carrier that your existing policy is with, then I would be happy to hop on a conference call and work out all of the details with you and the carrier. I’m in CA, but licensed in most all 50 states. The main question to ask yourself is whether you think you will want or need coverage once your existing $750k term policy expires. If this is the case, then your conversion option (if available) will be worth its weight in gold.
Please let me know if I can help in any way and best of luck to you!!