Divorce can result in many different things: hard feelings, divided assets, kids splitting time between two houses, and lots of attorneys fees. One thing that doesn’t automatically happen, however, if changing your beneficiary designation on your life insurance policies. Divorce Cuts Off Inheritance North Carolina law precludes an ex-spouse from inheriting from your estate. For the purposes of inheritance, it…

This is the first of a series of articles on resources available to Executors and family members of a deceased individual which will make the process of wrapping up the estate easier. Today – the Life Insurance Locator Services. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) has a central database called the “Life Insurance Policy Locator Service” which can assist consumers in…

Life insurance agents, just like some types of lawyers, can sometimes get a bad wrap. That’s because some agents fulfil the agent stereotype in the way they treat potential and actual clients. So, how can you spot the bad ones? There are generally three tell-tale signs that your life insurance agent is looking for a commission, not a client: Department…

When thinking of how life insurance proceeds are taxed, we’re really thinking of two different scenarios: income tax and estate tax. Generally speaking, these two scenarios are at opposite ends of the tax spectrum in most instances. Income Tax to the Beneficiary As a general rule, life insurance benefits that are paid to a beneficiary in a lump sum are…