About Thomas Rockford
Proud graduate of Brown University (Go Bears!) and a lifelong financial advisor and retirement planner.
There's no secret about it. Smoking is bad for your health. Life insurance companies are not interested in politics or trends, they only care about the numbers and the numbers are clear. Smoking shortens lives on average. Smoking opens you up to a host of serious health problems, not the Read More »
Though you may not participate in marathons, you definitely enjoy running. It helps you stay focused, clears your mind, keeps your weight in check and offers a whole host of other health benefits. Because you are in such good physical health, you wonder to yourself, “Could I actually save money Read More »
When applying for life insurance, there are several factors that your life insurance provider will take into consideration when determining the premiums you will pay, or if you will be approved at all. You may be worried that a life insurance company will deny you if you are an alcoholic, Read More »
When you purchase your life insurance policy, obviously, the most important factor is the type of coverage you are going to receive. You want to make sure that your loved ones are adequately provided for in the event of your passing. However, while coverage is extremely important, there is another Read More »
We recommend that people buy life insurance as early in life as possible. Life events such as marriage, having children, or owning a business can play a big role in determining when you really need insurance. Generally speaking though, the earlier you purchase life insurance the less money you'll pay. Read More »
Life insurance is a really smart purchase, and a crucial one, if you have a family that you need to protect. However, not everyone really needs coverage from a life insurance policy; or, you may outgrow the coverage that you once needed. The result of this can end up costing Read More »
One of the things that people come across when they are researching life insurance is the life insurance trust. Although the life insurance trust is fairly simple it can confuse a lot of people because when a life insurance trust is set up it can have a number of repercussions Read More »
Gathering every revealing bank statement and financial document to your name, sitting down at a table with a guy in a suit, smiling politely while he talks about stuff you don't understand and tells you how to invest your money and what insurance to buy, these are the signs that Read More »
The questions of whether or not a life insurance policy covers acts of terrorism is unfortunately a necessarily one these days. The 21st century has seen more blatant terrorism than at any other time in the past and for some Americans (as well as people around the world) death as Read More »
Getting a life insurance policy is important for anyone who has a family that depends on them, or who has any other financial responsibilities. Even if that’s not the case and you don’t have any dependents, life insurance can still be very useful to help cover funeral costs and to Read More »
Some small business owners don’t think about small business life insurance. If you own your own business, it’s something you’ve got to take care of. Thinking ahead can preserve your legacy and ensure your business lives on. Life insurance will help ensure your family is taken care of after you’re Read More »
You may have heard of universal life insurance in the past. But indexed universal life insurance may be a term that you’re not so familiar with. Although the two are similar, there are some key differences that you want to understand before you choose to go with one over the Read More »
You might have already heard of term life insurance policies with a 20 or 30-year term, but have you heard of a 25-year term life insurance package? Most insurance providers offer life insurance plans with terms of 10, 20, or 30 years. However, some companies offer even more flexibility with Read More »
Life insurance can be extremely confusing. Naturally, a lot of myths surround it. Even term life insurance policies have several elements that must be carefully considered before you can arrive at the right type and amount of coverage. Determining how much coverage you need and why can be a thought-intensive Read More »
The incontestability clause in a life insurance policy makes it impossible for the company after a period of time (usually two years) to contest any statements made in the application or any concealment of material facts in order to avoid payment of the proceeds. The clause is usually a simple Read More »
Wouldn't it be great if there was a product that you could invest your money into and it could grow your money tax-deferred, provide you with tax-free income, and either negate or offset estate taxes? There is a product out there, but most people don't know how it works. This product Read More »
Over the past month, Life Ant commissioned a survey to find out if people were aware of the distinct tax benefits of life insurance. We didn't expect to find the vast majority of people to be aware of life insurance taxation, but what we found was a little surprising. As Read More »
Juvenile life insurance is insurance written on the lives of children, usually those under age 15. Age classes for juveniles vary from company to company, commonly running from 0 through 9 or 0 through 14. There are a few cases of juvenile policies running from 0 to 4 and from Read More »
A participating life insurance policy is a policy that receives dividend payments from the life insurance company. It is called participating because it is entitled to share or "participate" in the surplus earnings of the life insurance company. A nonparticipating policy does not have the right to share in surplus Read More »
Life insurance agents can get paid very well for making large sales. Did you ever wonder how your life insurance agent gets paid? Are you concerned that they are making too much money from the products that you purchased? Well look no further. This is the ultimate guide to how Read More »
When a life insurance application reaches the desk of a life insurance company, it is sent to the underwriter (where the risk appraisal process begins). Risk appraisal usually involves selecting insurance applicants who meet the standards of insurability and then assigning them to the suitable risk classes. This process is Read More »
Women need life insurance just as much as men need life insurance. Unfortunately, women are not insured at as high of rates as men. More women are breadwinners of their families than ever. Even those who do not work often provide valuable childcare or other domestic services. If a woman Read More »
Shopping around for life insurance can be time consuming and intimidating. There are so many options out there from a myriad of insurers. Just because the process is daunting, however, you should not be scared away. Good, affordable life insurance policies can be found, and often times, they are just a Read More »
Most people buy life insurance to protect their loved ones from financial hardship. Business owners, on the other hand, must consider other aspects of life insurance. Being prepared in the event of your premature death will provide future financial support for those involved in your business. How Can Life Insurance Read More »
A disability income rider is a very valuable add-on available to policy owners when they purchase a life insurance contract. A disability income rider provides financial protection to the owner of a life insurance contract that a disability will often incur. It does so in a couple of ways (potentially depending Read More »
Variable universal life insurance and universal life insurance are two very different products. While both function similarly in terms of the flexibility of premium payments, cash value accrual account, and changes in premium payments, the difference lies in the way the cash value account earns money. While a universal life Read More »
Life insurance is more useful than many people realize when it comes to saving money on taxes. This is because life insurance enjoys special tax benefits that other forms of investments do not receive. Not only is the death benefit normally paid free of any taxes to the beneficiaries, but owners Read More »
Obamacare, also known as the “Affordable Care Act”, has been met with its fair share of controversy. Although the ACA helps mainly in providing affordable health insurance, its effects on life insurance coverage must also be considered. Obamacare’s requirements on individuals and employers, for example, may affect your ability to Read More »
A variable universal life insurance is an interesting product. It combines many of the unique benefits of life insurance with with earnings power of an investment account. Many advisors will point to the high fees of a variable universal life insurance product and declare it a bad investment, but this Read More »
Variable universal life insurance is a tricky product. There are a lot of features of this complicated product, some of them are beneficial to the consumer and some are not. Making money on a variable universal life insurance policy depends upon understanding how this insurance policy works, what to avoid Read More »
A life insurance settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy to another person or a 3rd party. Sometimes called a "life settlement", a "senior settlement" or a "lifetime settlement", the life insurance settlement typically offers the original policyholder more money than the cash surrender value of the policy Read More »
When you are a parent, you know that you need life insurance. What is less obvious is how much you need, and how long you need the coverage to last. There are so many options when it comes to life insurance that it can be very overwhelming, especially for a Read More »
A whole life insurance illustration can be complicated for people who are not familiar with life insurance. The illustration shows a lot more about your insurance than the amount of money that you need to pay. Not only does it show the annual cost of your insurance, but the illustration Read More »
Term life insurance is, when judged by the annual premiums, the most affordable kind of life insurance by far. But why is it so much less money than whole life insurance and other forms of permanent life insurance? Is the coverage less valuable? Will the insurance coverage still pay out, Read More »
Term life insurance gives owners a lot of flexibility regarding how ,many years that the coverage is guaranteed to last for. On the shortest end of the spectrum, level term policies are available starting at 5 years in length, and annually renewable policies can be used for even shorter periods of Read More »
After you get married, have kids, or buy a house, you may realize that you need life insurance. You may know that you want your family to be financially secure if something happens, and you know that you want to preserve the house and your spouse's retirement. You may also Read More »
Life insurance can be very confusing. There are different types of policies that work in very different ways. Some policies have cash values, and some do not. Some policies pay dividends, some pay interest, and some invest the cash value in variable sub account funds. Each policy has different expenses, features, Read More »
Many people who have experienced a serious health condition such as cancer, a heart attack, or a stroke may be denied life insurance coverage through traditional means. Luckily, it is not impossible for these people to obtain life insurance coverage. While major companies will take on a small amount of Read More »
For most people, surrendering a whole life insurance policy for a term life insurance is a good idea. Term life insurance provides the same death benefit as whole life insurance for a tiny fraction of the cost. While there are benefits to whole life insurance that are not available with Read More »
Life insurance is now more affordable than ever for people over 70, according to the results of a survey regarding the costs of new policies. The price of a new term life insurance policy for seniors has dropped considerably in recent years, allowing even people over 70 years old Read More »
Bad news coffee drinkers. Despite some findings that coffee does not affect health adversely, a survey of 1000 coffee drinkers and non coffee drinkers who own life insurance, commissioned by Life Ant, has found that on average, the coffee drinkers are paying more for their life insurance than their non Read More »
As an adult, you may be financially stable. However, the death of a parent could cause a significant financial burden. Due to increased life expectancies for the elderly, in recent years the number of adults who are over the age of 45 that are caring for elderly parents has increased. This Read More »
When it comes to pricing a life insurance policy, most people understand that the insurance company will determine the person’s premium rate based on the risk the company feels it is taking to provide the policy. A person that is diagnosed with diabetes may be frightened of what their life insurance premiums will Read More »
After a survey we conducted on our site regarding millennial life insurance purchasing habits, we at Life Ant have concluded that the millennial generation is largely avoiding purchasing life insurance. While historical purchase rates of life insurance by people in their 20's are not available, after consulting with industry experts Read More »
If you have survived a heart attack, you may find that it is tough to find a life insurance policy. However, it is important to know that it is not impossible. In the United States, heart disease is the number one cause of death and many of those who survive are Read More »
Life Ant is pleased to offer travel life insurance. Travel life insurance, also called travel accident insurance, provides protection from a loss that occurs specifically if the insured person is killed (or injured depending upon the policy) while taking some form of transportation. Travel life insurance is a great way Read More »
Besides protecting the financial security of families and other dependent people from a person's death, life insurance is also a fantastic way to pass along money while avoiding paying taxes on it. The tax advantages do not end there though. Many people may have heard that life insurance proceeds are not usually Read More »
For people new to life insurance, the information surrounding buying a life insurance policy can all be very confusing. Most people must place a lot of trust in their life insurance agent, and hope that the agent has their best interests at heart. Fortunately, most of the agents out there Read More »
After a look at what amounts of people of different ages of people use life insurance, a survey conducted by Life Ant has found that new mothers are woefully under-insured. According to the survey, Life Ant has found that less than 20% of new mothers under 30 have life insurance coverage. Even more Read More »
An annuity is an investment sold by life insurance companies. An annuity is a contract between an owner and the insurance company in which the owner pays money to the company in exchange for a guaranteed stream of income to an annuitant, usually for the rest of their life. People Read More »
