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

Method of determining reimbursement from medical insurance according to diagnosis on a prospective basis. It originated with the medicare program. ...

Maximum sum of money that the insurance company will pay, during the time interval that the product liability insurance coverage is in effect, for all product liability-related claims ...

Modest life insurance coverage to pay burial expenses upon the death of an insured. ...

Same as term Adjuster: individual employed by a property and casualty insurance company to settle on its behalf claims brought by insureds. The adjuster evaluates the merits of each claim ...

Type of individual retirement account (IRA) allowed by the employees retirement income security act of 1974 (erisa) in which contributions are paid into a custodial account sponsored by a ...

Single policy on the insured's property for: two or more different kinds of property in the same location; same kind of property in two or more locations; two or more different kinds of ...

Guarantee by a reinsurance company that payment for losses incurred by a third party will be made even though that third party has no contractual arrangement with the reinsurance company. ...

Law that requires that all surplus lines insurance companies maintain a minimum specified amount of capital and surplus; also requires that alien insurers maintain a trust fund on location ...

Worst case scenario under which an estimate is made of the maximum dollar amount that can be lost if a catastrophe occurs such as a hurricane or firestorm. ...

Popular Insurance Questions