when i die do i get death benefit plus cash value
The Death Benefit. When the insured dies, (be it the day after the insurance is activated or at age 120), the insurance company will pay the beneficiary the death benefit only. The insurance company will use any cash-value account to lower the amount it has to pay. The beneficiaries will not get the money in the cash-value account and the death benefit. As an example, say someone buys a $10,000 whole-life policy on his or her life at age 25. If the cash-value account is $8,000 when the person dies, the insurance company will pay the beneficiary $10,000 not $10,000 plus the $8,000 in the cash-value account.