If you’ve ever shopped for life insurance, then you know that there can be some key variables to consider to determine whether you have the proper type and amount of coverage.
For example, knowing how much your policy’s proceeds should be can be beneficial, as you don’t want to underinsure and leave your loved ones with a financial burden, or over-insure and end up paying more than you need.
When shopping for the right life insurance policy, it is also imperative that you review the company that you are considering purchasing through, as you will want to know that it is stable and safe financially and that it has a good reputation for paying out its policyholder claims. One life insurer that has a long standing reputation – and is well-known in the insurance marketplace – is Bankers Life Insurance Company.
The History of Bankers Life Insurance Company
Bankers Life Insurance Company – also commonly referred to as simply BLIC – was initially founded in 1976 – and, while it may not be one of the older insurance carriers in the U.S., it has proven itself to be a viable player in the life insurance and annuity arena. Bankers Life is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company does business in all 50 of the U.S. states, although it does business as Western Bankers Life Insurance Company in the state of Texas. It is a subsidiary of Global Bankers Insurance Group Company.
With $1.2 billion of assets under management, Global Bankers continues to deliver on its unique investment strategy, too, with sustainable and profitable growth. Global Bankers is itself a subsidiary of another company, Eli Global, LLC. Founded in 1991, Eli Global is a privately held consortium of more than 50 independent businesses that serve the needs of its clients in industries such as insurance, financial services, health care services, revenue cycle management, information technology, marketing and sales, publishing, distribution, market research, and business information.
Bankers Life Insurance Company Review
Bankers Life Insurance Company’s strategic use of reinsurance to reduce liability and add capital and surplus, as well as its commitment to disciplined management of company expenses, has positioned this insurance carrier to continue growing its business for years to come.
As of year-end 2016, Bankers Life has more than $447 million in assets and $27.3 million in statutory surplus. Both figures represent a considerable increase over those of just one year prior.
Insurer Ratings and Better Business Bureau (BBB) Grade
The Bankers Life Insurance Company investment policy is predicated upon ultimate protection and providing stable, predictable income to the company’s policyholders. Based on its overall financial stability and reputation for paying out its policyholders’ claims, Bankers Life Insurance Company has a grade of B (Stable) from A.M. Best Company.
Life Insurance Coverage Offered Through Bankers Life Insurance Company
Bankers Life Insurance Company does not provide any of the traditional life insurance products such as term, whole life, universal life, or variable life insurance coverage. Rather, it focuses more on the retirement income market through annuities.
Other Products and Services Offered
With the number one concern on the minds of retirees today is running out of income, the focus of many life insurance carriers today – as well as other financial companies – has been offering retirement annuities. One reason for this is because annuities can provide the ability to obtain a guaranteed lifetime income stream – regardless of how long a person lives. (Some annuities will also pay out income to a second individual, such as a spouse or partner, for as long as that person lives, too).
Bankers Life Insurance Company offers several annuity options. These include the following:
SPDA-5
The SPDA-5 is a five-year tax deferred guaranteed return annuity. With this annuity, the interest rate is guaranteed for five years. And, by choosing the interest rate lock, the annuitant will qualify for an interest rate lock for 45 days on incoming transfers from other financial institutions.
The interest on this annuity will begin 30 days after the policy issue – or if requested, after the policy issue date the payments will be made monthly starting one month after the monthly interest option effective date. The interest is credited daily, and it is compounded annually to yield the guaranteed rate.
This annuity also offers a nursing home care waiver whereby if a covered condition occurs to the annuitant, the policyholder may withdraw up to 50 percent of the accumulated contract value without incurring a withdrawal charge. (Otherwise, there can be a withdrawal fee for any money taken out more than 10 percent, during the first six years).
In this case, a covered condition is defined as confinement in a residential care facility or a skilled nursing home facility for at least 90 consecutive days. The annuity contract must also be in force for at least 90 days for this to be covered.
The SPDA-5 annuity is available to applicants who are between the ages of 0 to 85 years, and it has a minimum premium requirement of at least $10,000 – regardless of whether the account is qualified or non-qualified.
SPDA-7
With the Bankers Life Insurance Company’s SPDA-7 annuity, the interest rate is guaranteed for seven years. This annuity also requires a minimum premium of $10,000, and it is open to those who are between age 0 and 85 years. This annuity will also qualify for an interest rate lock of 45 days on incoming transfers from other financial institutions.
If the policy owner is required to take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) on a tax-qualified annuity, the withdrawal charges will be waived on any RMD amount that exceeds the 10 percent free withdrawal provision. Any withdrawal that is requested more than that allowed under one of the penalty-free withdrawal options is subject to the following withdrawal charges (which may vary by state):
Contract Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8
|
Withdrawal Charge |
9% |
8% |
7% |
6% |
5% |
4% |
3% |
0% |
As with the SPDA-5 annuity, the SPDA-7 also has a nursing home waiver option, whereby if a covered condition is to occur to the annuitant, the policy owner may withdraw up to 50 percent of the accumulated contract value without incurring a withdrawal charge. A covered condition, in this case, is defined as confinement in a residential care facility or skilled nursing facility for at least 90 days. The annuity contract must be in force for at least 90 days to become covered.
SPIA
The SPIA annuity is also available through Bankers Life Insurance Company. An SPIA – or a single premium immediate annuity – create instant income during retirement through taking a lump sum of money and converting it into regular payments that continue for a specified period, or for the lifetime of the insured.
An SPIA annuity could be a viable option for someone seeking an excellent return on their money that he or she will not outlive and does not want to worry about how to invest the money. The benefits of the SPIA annuity will also include the tax deferral that is derived from receiving income in payments instead of in one large lump sum.
The SPIA annuity option from Bankers Life allows the policy owner to elect to receive either monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual payments over the course of five to twenty years – which will enable the annuitant to customize the size and the frequency of the income payments.
These income payments are fully guaranteed for the period that is elected – even if it is for the annuitant’s full lifetime. The payments will not fluctuate, so the annuitant can have the peace of mind in knowing that his or her retirement income will be stable.
If the annuitant dies while he or she is still receiving income payments from the SPIA annuity, and provided that these payments are a non-life only option, a named beneficiary (or beneficiaries) will have a few options. They may receive the remaining payments that left on the annuity’s income payment schedule, or, they may elect to receive the remaining account value as a commuted lump sum.
This annuity option is available to those who are up to age 90 (as of his or her last birthday) as the annuitant, and policy owners who are at least age 18 or over. The annuity has a minimum premium amount of $10,000 and a maximum premium amount of $500,000 (unless the annuity holder obtains home office approval from Bankers Life Insurance Company).
The various income payout options and parameters for the SPIA include the following:
- Lifetime Income – ages 75 and below
- Life Income with Period Certain – 5, 7, 10, 15, or 20 years
- Income for a Fixed Period – 5 to 20 years
- Joint Life Income – 100 percent or 66 2/3 percent to the survivor
Interest Plus
The Interest Plus annuity from Bankers Life Insurance Company is designed for the individual who desires a higher than average rate of return, but with the ability to access funds for any reason or amount – without incurring an excessive surrender charge. By paying an upfront fee, the annuity owner will receive a large amount of flexibility.
The issue ages on this annuity are 0 to 90 years for non-qualified contracts, and 0 to 65 on qualified contracts. The minimum premium amount is $10,000, and the maximum is $500,000 without getting home office approval.
Annuity holders who have the Interest Plus annuity are permitted to access unlimited withdrawals – with the minimum being $1,000 – of their accumulated accounts for any reason after the annuity has been issued. Each of these withdrawals, however, will be subject to a 1 percent redemption fee schedule. The withdrawal fee schedule on the Interest Plus annuity is as follows:
Contract Year |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
30-Day Window |
6-10 |
11
|
Withdrawal Charge % |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
It is important to note that not all of the annuities offered by Bankers Life Insurance Company are available in all 50 states.
How to Find the Best Life Insurance Premium Quotes
If you are looking for the best quotes on life insurance coverage, it is recommended that you work in conjunction with an independent insurance broker or agency that has access to multiple insurance carriers. This will allow you to compare the options that are available to you in an unbiased manner, and from there you can better determine which one will work for you, as well as for your budget.
We understand that the purchase of any insurance product can be a bit daunting. There are many different variables that you can choose from – and you want to be sure that you are going with the plan that will be the best for you and your specific needs. Going through this process can be much easier, though, with an ally on your side. So, contact us today – we’re here to help.
Source: goodfinancialcents.com