Sharon Carter is a wealth management professional who focuses on life insurance, disability and annuities. She says we need to look at life insurance, disability and annuities as vehicles and tools that we can access and use when needed.
- Life Insurance - is not just about leaving a lump sum of money for your loved ones when you pass. A person can use their life insurance when they are alive and if they're going through a life challenge. For example, if they're diagnosed with an illness, they can accelerate some of their face amount - the cash value, and use the policy.
- Disability is a way of protecting your income. Individuals need to ask themselves " How long can I survive if I'm out of work for 6 weeks or more. How long can I pay the mortgage? How long can I buy food?". Depending on the insurance carrier you may be able to access your disability right away or it may kick in 7 to 14 days afterwards.
- Annuities are a great tool for protecting your money. Sharon advises that if you are over 50 you should look into annuities as a means of having steady income for the rest of your life after you've retired from your job and after the annuity has been in place for 10 years. You can also access up to 10% of that money if you need to.
