LIFE & HEALTH INSURANCE

LIFE INSURANCE

Defining Your Individual Needs Is The Place To Start  [*Try Our Life Insurance Calculator*]
Life insurance is simply protection to ensure that your family will have financial security when you die. If something should happen to you, how will they be able to continue doing the things they take for granted, like live in a nice home, continue their education, or create a retirement nest egg without you?   Life insurance can help to provide the answer.

There are a variety of life insurance policies we can provide. The kind of policy you choose depends on your needs:

Term Life

Term Life Insurance is a low-cost way of providing maximum coverage for your family. Protection is provided for a limited number of years. The insurance expires without value if the insured lives beyond the policy period, usually 5 to 20 years. Other policy life periods are available, including 1 year annual renewable term.

Term insurance premiums will not increase during the guaranteed policy time period (term) you select. Term Life Insurance pays a death benefit only if you die during that term. Term insurance generally provides the largest insurance protection for your premium dollar.

Term Life Insurance remains in force for as long as premiums are current, provided there are no misrepresentations on the application. The insurance coverage terminates if you discontinue your premium payments.

Universal Life

Universal Life is characterized by great flexibility. Policyholders can determine the amount and frequency of premium payments - i.e., the more you pay, the less time you will need to pay. Your premiums cover the insurance part also the savings or investment element and the expense part. The stated interest on the investment portion changes along with movement in interest rates; moves in 1/4 % interest steps are typical as banks and other financial institutions make similar moves.

Whole Life

Whole Life Insurance provides permanent protection for the whole of life - from the date of policy issue to the date of the insured's death, provided that premiums are paid. Premiums are set at the time of policy issue and remain level for the policy's life. Unlike term insurance, whole life combines insurance protection and savings or cash value which builds over time. Cash value build-up may provide a source for living benefits, for example, helping pay off a mortgage, or a child's education, or cash surrender value if the policy is ever cancelled.

These products are continually changing and we can provide you with the latest information and policies available!

INDIVIDUAL HEALTH

Individual health insurance programs are designed for individuals and families who cannot obtain health insurance through an employer. Due to the continually rising cost of medical care, it has become more important to provide health insurance for you and your families. Watauga Insurance, Inc. offers health insurance programs to individuals which offer extensive coverage as well as high-deductible programs which are designed to protect against catastrophic financial losses.

As an independent agency, Watauga Insurance, Inc. can provide insurance plans from numerous health insurance companies. With the health insurance market changing frequently, we are always on the lookout for quality, service-oriented insurance companies for our clients.

INDIVIDUAL DISABILITY

Individual Disability Income Protection is a must for a business owner, and highly recommended for executives. If you are a business owner, you should consider purchasing both group and individual policies, if possible. As an executive, you should be sure to obtain group coverage if it is available. Only forty three percent of large companies provide group long term disability insurance.

Your chances are even less likely to get long term disability insurance if you work for a small company. The cost of a plan provided by your employer is usually less than you would pay for an individual disability policy and often you can get coverage automatically without having to qualify medically. If your employer doesn't provide disability insurance then you may want to consider an individual disability policy.

Or, you may need a personal disability insurance policy to supplement an employer group plan. Be sure to check the group provisions carefully: How long does the group disability insurance coverage last? How much is the benefit? Does the disability insurance policy cover bonus and commission income? Will the coverage continue if you leave that employer?

A typical Individual Disability Income Protection plan starts to pay benefits after you have been off work for 1 to 6 months, and pays benefits for several years or until retirement age, depending on the policy.

INDIVIDUAL LONG-TERM CARE (LTC)

Long-Term Care is the type of care received either at home or in a facility, when someone needs assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing due to an accident, an illness or advancing age.

Rising life expectancy means that the potential need for "long-term care" grows with every passing year of your life. The likelihood is that you or a member of your family will need long-term assistance due to a prolonged illness, a disability, or general deterioration of your health and ability to perform routine daily activities. Most long term care expenses are not covered by Social Security or Medicare, Medicare Supplement ("Medigap"), or private health insurance. Medicaid pays for nearly half of all nursing home care, but you must meet federal poverty guidelines and may have to "spend down" most of your assets on health care.

ANNUITIES

An annuity can help you accumulate tax-deferred earnings as part of your overall retirement plan. Annuities offer the opportunity for lifetime payments and tax-deferred earnings, and provide a guaranteed death benefit for your beneficiaries. All guarantees are backed by the continued claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

You may want to consider investing in an annuity as part of your long-term financial plan if:

• You're in a higher tax bracket, and want to defer additional income.

• You've reached your deductible limit on all your retirement accounts and wish to save more for retirement.

An annuity is different from most other retirement savings vehicles — it's actually a contract between you and an insurance company. In return for making one or more premium payments, the insurance company agrees to provide you an income stream — usually during retirement. You can elect to receive payment all at once or as a series of payments, even for the rest of your life.