What You Should Know

• Single premium life insurance is the most common option for immediate cash value
• Term life insurance policies can offer immediate life insurance coverage but without the cash value
• It may not be practical to buy a life insurance policy with immediate cash value due to the risk and initial expense

Wondering which type of life insurance policy generates immediate cash value? Despite having plenty of life insurance companies available nationwide, you might come across some challenges finding immediate cash value life insurance.

Waiting for a life insurance policy to become active can be frustrating. This article will break down how you can get life insurance with no waiting period, including policies that build cash value.

Ready to learn more about which type of life insurance policy generates immediate cash value? Continue scrolling or take advantage of our free quote tool above to get instant rates from the top life insurance companies near you.

Which type of life insurance policy generates immediate cash value?

There are many life insurance policies out there. Most commonly, prospective policyholders choose between a term or permanent life insurance policy. These policies differ in that one offers cash value and the other does not.

Term life insurance is more common because it is more affordable on a monthly basis. These policies do not accrue cash value, but they do tend to offer a significant death benefit to beneficiaries.

Contrarily, permanent life insurance policies, such as whole or universal life insurance, build cash value and commonly have a smaller death benefit. The cash value component offers a handful of small benefits to policyholders.

For example, the cash value on a life insurance policy can do the following:

• Build interest
• Be used to pay premiums in emergencies
• Be used for other emergency funds

These are small benefits that could come in handy in certain situations. Most life insurance companies will guarantee some return on the cash value, but that amount varies by company and policy type.

Where can I get a life insurance policy that generates immediate cash value?

Finding a life insurance policy that generates immediate cash value is actually pretty straightforward. However, the way life insurance policies accrue cash value tends to limit the potential policy options you'll have.

Keep in mind that, in a traditional permanent life insurance policy, a portion of your monthly payment is allocated to your cash value component. At the same time, the remaining premiums pay for the death benefit.

This means that cash value typically builds slowly over time. Therefore, the only way to generate immediate cash value is to pay a large sum when you initiate the life insurance policy.

Most commonly, life insurance policies that offer immediate cash value will have a single premium. This is because single premium life insurance fills your cash value component all at once rather than in smaller increments.

Many life insurance companies that offer permanent life insurance will offer a single premium option, though it's unclear exactly which companies do offer this feature.

State Farm is one of the only reputable life insurance companies that openly markets single premium life insurance. If you decide to invest in one of these policies, your best bet would be to shop quotes from multiple providers to see who offers this payment option and how much it will cost.

It's worth noting that there are a handful of payment options. Permanent life insurance policies can be paid monthly over your entire lifespan or a predetermined time frame.

Some companies also offer more unique payment structures, such as quarterly or annual payments, alongside the single premium option.

Should I buy a life insurance policy that generates immediate cash value?

Not everyone should invest in immediate cash value life insurance. Below, we highlight a few pros and cons relating to these policies.

Pros

• Can generate a lot of interest
• One payment offers convenience
• Cash value is immediately available

Cons

• Major initial expense
• Risk of unused benefits
• Smaller death benefit in general

Some people don't advocate for permanent life insurance policies as it is. They tend to be much more expensive, and the cash value has limited usage. Investors sometimes say to invest your money elsewhere to generate more interest.

In addition, a single premium life insurance policy could put your policy at risk of going unclaimed if you aren't diligent about notifying your beneficiaries.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, millions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed each year simply due to a lack of communication between policyholders and beneficiaries.

With one payment, there tend to be fewer opportunities for beneficiaries to find a trail relating to the policy if they haven't been informed about the policy to begin with.

Lastly, a single premium life insurance policy will cost thousands of dollars upfront, depending on the amount of coverage you choose. This would be a major expense for most people.

Are there other options for life insurance with no waiting period?

Although you might struggle to find a life insurance policy with immediate cash value, there are more reasonable options that offer immediate coverage.

For example, no exam life insurance policies typically offer immediate coverage whether you choose term or whole life.

These premiums can be spread out over the course of the policy length and are usually pretty affordable. In addition some companies will offer level, increasing, or decreasing premium options.

What does level refer to in level term insurance? Level simply means that the premiums don't increase or decrease. This can be a great feature as it helps you budget over the term of your policy, whether it be a whole or term life insurance policy.

Level term life insurance can be a great choice that is predictable and still offers a major death benefit for your beneficiaries. But, it would be worthwhile to get quotes from multiple providers with different policy types to determine what fits your needs and your budget.

Immediate Cash Value Life Insurance: The Bottom Line

Overall, immediate cash value life insurance could be a good idea for some, but it isn't practical for everyone.

However, that doesn't mean you can find other policies that offer immediate coverage. While you're here, use our free quote tool below to get instant rates from multiple insurers now to find out if immediate cash value life insurance is right for you.

References:

1. https://content.naic.org/article/consumer_insight_how_be_life_insurance_beneficiary_what_you_need_know_prepare.htm