Life Insurance Benefits To Minors
The life insurance benefit funds the utma account, and unlike a trust, the child will take ownership of the money when they reach the appropriate age.
Life insurance benefits to minors. A life insurance policy does this by paying a death benefit to your family. If no claim is raised, then your child will get access to better life insurance policies when they’re older. It can be set up at a bank or brokerage company, and.
Click a link below to jump right to the section you’re most interested in or just read on. To claim life insurance benefits, the beneficiary should contact the insurance company's local agent or check the company's website. Law § 3207(a) (mckinney 2000) prohibits minors below the age of fourteen years and six months from owning life insurance policies.
Age when proceeds are released. But, selecting and obtaining the right policy is only half of the equation. In most states, a utma custodian must turn the proceeds over to the child at an age specified by law—18 or 21 in most states, up to 25 in just a few.
This allows an appointed guardian to manage the account until the child reaches the age of majority. While convenient, keep in mind employee benefit programs can change at any time, and that in general, group life insurance can be hard or impossible to take with you if you leave your employer. The life insurance benefits are paid into the trust upon your death.
Another way to handle life insurance proceeds for minor children is to set up a trust, which you then name as the beneficiary of your life insurance policy. If you name your minor child as the beneficiary, however, you must understand how this will affect your family. This is a very common way that an adult leaves life insurance benefits to a minor.
Finally, some employers offer juvenile life insurance options through their group life insurance coverage. Should the worst happen, either your child dies or suffers a critical illness, your policy can pay out to support you financially. If the insurance company is aware a minor beneficiary is a special needs child, it may be advisable to suggest the prospective guardian seek legal advice before the death benefits is paid as inherited funds, including life insurance benefits, may disrupt any government care or support programs the special needs child depends upon for their daily and put future care in jeopardy.