Your forever policy
Finding your forever policy. Permanent life insurance is more than just insurance (although it is that, too): it’s an asset, an actual thing you own. And when it comes to insurance, ownership has its benefits.
Like any life insurance policy, permanent life insurance will issue a tax-efficient lump sum payout when you pass. More surprising are the many other benefits of permanent life insurance—benefits that have less to do with your future beneficiaries and more to do with you in the present tense.
A living policy
Permanent life insurance offers three key benefits you can use now—and for the rest of your life:
1. You can borrow from your own policy
The cash value within permanent life insurance can help pay for a prolonged parental leave or sabbatical and can even provide a bridge for an early retirement. You don’t need to “apply” to borrow this money—it’s yours. Borrowing from the cash value of your policy has no impact on your credit score. And because it’s a private asset, you decide when (or even whether) to pay it back.
2. It can be used as collateral for a loan
This can be a powerful benefit while you’re building your practice. What’s more, because permanent life insurance is an asset, holding it within your professional corporation can help signal the financial health of your business.
3. It can help incorporated lawyers build wealth
If you’re among the 17,000 Canadian lawyers1 who’ve incorporated their practice, you can use permanent life insurance as an alternative asset class to help you build wealth tax-efficiently.
Read more: Life insurance 201. Is there a role for life insurance in my corporation?
An efficient way to leave a legacy
Your inner circle. Research suggests that an individual’s death affects the well-being of, on average, five other people2. As a working lawyer, it’s fair to say that your circle of influence is several degrees broader. In addition to its many living benefits, permanent life insurance can help leave a legacy for your family, your business partners, or the charity of your choice.
Learn more
Connect with a certified financial planner from Lawyers Financial to learn if permanent life insurance is the right strategy for you.
Sources: 1. Statistical Report of The Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2019.
2. Canadian Palliative Care Association, Life Blanket Project, “Live Well, Die Well.”
Permanent life insurance is sponsored by The Canadian Bar Insurance Association (CBIA) and may be underwritten by one of three insurance partners: The Canada Life Assurance Company, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife), or Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada.
