One of the benefits claimed for capitalism is that the investment market calls for transparency. That means all companies selling stocks through the various exchanges must disclose reasonably full details of their financial performance – at least enough to allow investors to make an informed decision on whether to buy or sell. If the information is deliberately incomplete or misleading in a real way, the company (and its senior executives) can be prosecuted. In theory, this keeps companies honest. In March 2010, the economists are still arguing about whether the recession is over. Some are passionately asserting that all the major economies will now start positive growth. Others are equally passionate in warning about double dip recession or stagnation. Whichever camp eventually proves right, one very interesting piece of news to come out of the companies selling life insurance is that their more conservative approach to investment has produced steady growth throughout the recession. When you think of all the companies selling their expertise for the management of investments or the exploitation of movements in value through the hedge funds, it is good to see traditional values of prudence paying off. The returns may have been relatively small, i.e. between 3 and 4%, but any investment manager showing a positive return during a recession is something of a superstar.
As indicated in an earlier article, this does not mean you should immediately buy a whole life policy. Ignoring the significant commission payments that cause much of your first year’s premium to disappear, it needs careful financial planning to decide whether whole life or the allied universal life fits your needs. One of the claimed advantages of whole life policies is they represent compulsory saving for your retirement, i.e. the cash value can either be drawn down or used as collateral for a loan if an emergency arises. But that is the purpose of the 401k accounts. Both represent tax-free ways of saving and investing for retirement. But the greater freedom to manage the 401k accounts and the absence of both upfront commissions and high management fees usually means the returns are higher. Do not be deceived by the short-term losses in your 401k accounts over the last two years. Taking the longer view, investments have shown steady growth over the last fifty years. In real terms, you can expect your 401k account to yield more than a whole life policy. Put another way, you should only buy a whole life or universal policy when you have the maximum invested in your 401k and other more tax efficient savings and investment plans. (more…)