When clients come to Carrie asking about life insurance, the first decision is usually: term or permanent? There's no universally correct answer — both types of coverage serve important purposes. The right choice depends on your age, your goals, your budget, and your family's situation.
什麼是定期壽險？
Term life insurance provides coverage for a specific period — typically 10, 20, or 30 years. If you die during the term, your beneficiaries receive the tax-free death benefit. If the term expires and you're still alive, the coverage ends (though most policies offer renewal or conversion options).
Key characteristics:
- Lowest cost for the highest amount of coverage
- Straightforward: you pay premiums, your family gets the death benefit if you die within the term
- Premiums are fixed for the duration of the term
- No cash value buildup — if you don't die during the term, you receive nothing back
- Convertible: most Sun Life term policies can be converted to a permanent policy without medical evidence
什麼是 Sun Life 分紅保險？
Participating whole life insurance — or 'Par' — provides permanent, lifelong coverage. Premiums are higher than term, but you're building a policy that never expires, accumulates guaranteed cash value, and participates in Sun Life's dividend experience. It's simultaneously an insurance policy and a wealth-building tool.
- Permanent: covers you for life, never expires regardless of health changes
- 現金價值: the policy accumulates a growing guaranteed cash value you can access through loans or surrender
- Dividends: Sun Life Par policies share in the company's participating fund experience — dividends can increase the death benefit and cash value over time
- Estate planning: the death benefit passes tax-free to beneficiaries and can be used to fund estate equalization
- Tax shelter: the policy grows in a tax-advantaged way — particularly valuable for business owners with retained earnings
並排比較
| Feature | Term life | Sun Life Par |
|---|---|---|
| 保障期間 | 10, 20 or 30 years | Lifetime |
| 月度保費 (example $500K) | ~$50–$100/month at 40 | ~$400–$700/month at 40 |
| 現金價值 | None | Yes — grows over time |
| 年度分紅 | No | Yes — participates in Sun Life fund |
| 最適合 | Income replacement, mortgage | Estate, wealth transfer, business owners |
| 複雜程度 | Simple | More complex — worth understanding fully |
| Convertible to permanent? | Yes (most policies) | 已是永久保險 |
誰應選擇定期壽險？
- 需要以最低成本獲得最大保障的年輕家庭
- 有按揭或重大債務的人士 that need to be covered if they die
- 在工作期間保障收入替代的人士
- Those on a tight budget who need coverage now but can buy permanent later
- Business owners needing temporary key person or buy-sell coverage
誰應選擇 Sun Life 分紅保險？
- Those with permanent insurance needs — estate planning, business succession, estate equalization for heirs
- Business owners who want to build tax-sheltered wealth inside a permanent policy using retained corporate earnings
- High-net-worth individuals who want a tax-efficient way to transfer wealth to the next generation
- Those who want guaranteed coverage that can never be taken away due to health changes
- Clients looking for a conservative, guaranteed component in their overall wealth plan
Carrie's approach: For most young families, term insurance is the right starting point — maximum coverage at the lowest cost during the years when your family is most financially exposed. As wealth grows and needs evolve, adding a Par policy for estate and wealth-transfer purposes often makes sense. Many of Carrie's clients have both. Book a conversation to find out what's right for your situation.
王羽恬
王羽恬是 Seven Lakes Financial Services Inc. 的創辦人，同時也是服務安大略省及薩斯喀徹溫省客戶的 Sun Life 顧問。她專精退休、遺產及投資規劃，以溫暖且個人化的方式為每位客戶提供服務，並能以英語、普通話及台語流暢溝通。