Definition of "Needs approach"

Personal insurance method used to analyze the amount necessary to maintain a family in its customary life-style, should the primary wage earner die. This includes such considerations as:

  1. immediate needs ("cleanup fund") expenses associated with final medical treatments and burial, inheritance taxes, estate taxes, probate costs, outstanding debt.
  2. continued income while children are still in school and depend on family support.
  3. continued income for the surviving spouse after children no longer depend on family support.
  4. continued income to pay a mortgage, education expenses, emergency expenses, and miscellaneous expenses.
  5. retirement fund for the surviving spouse.
From the sum of these expenses, subtract sources of income available to the surviving spouse (Social Security, investments, employee benefit plans such as group life insurance and pensions), to arrive at a final figure on which to base the amount of life insurance the wage earner should consider.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Agency that sells insurance policies from both a stock insurance company and a mutual insurance company. ...

Ruling that is the most significant source for the valuation of closely held corporation capital stock critical to the close corporation plan. This ruling defines the fair market value as ...

Donation of amount "A," made by donor X to a charity. The charity agrees to pay donor X an amount ("B") for the rest of donor X's life. Since the donation is used to fund an annuity, only a ...

Specified amount received by an insured at the end of an endowment period (usually the face amount of the endowment policy), or by the owner of an ordinary life policy (usually the ...

Written form which has precisely the same terms as the other property insurance policies covering a particular property. ...

French industrialist whose thesis is that all business activities revolve around six areas: technical (production), commercial (buying and selling), financing (capital employment), ...

Conditions found in employee benefit plans such as pensions, under which minimum requirements, such as 20 years of service, must be met by an employee to qualify for benefits. ...

Provision in corporate life insurance policies that allows coverage to be transferred to a new individual with proof of insurability, for a premium appropriate to the age of the new ...

Specific values of securities computed annually by the national association of insurance commissioners (NAIC) as guidelines and procedures for insurance companies in listing of their ...

Popular Insurance Questions