ABSTRACT
As individuals age, many factors such as
changing needs, rising premiums, medical expenses,
financial troubles, divorce, cash need,
and changing costs of insurance may drive
them to seek other insurance options or abandon
their existing insurance policies altogether.
Often, individuals feel that their only options
are to let the policy lapse or surrender it,
but there are several options available that may
be more attractive. Section 1035 exchanges to
annuities or long-term care policies will allow
the policyholder to access the cash value for
lifetime income or use the cash value to fund
a long-term care policy. Life settlements may
provide a benefit that is significantly greater
than simply surrendering a policy and often
provide a profitable exit strategy that addresses
the policyholder’s goals and objectives. It
is important for policyholders to understand
the options available to them if they no longer
need or want their insurance policies before
making an impulsive decision that could let
years of premium payments go to waste.