Can I use my life insurance to pay my mortgage?

Asked by: Kurt Simonis  |  Last update: July 7, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (61 votes)

Whole life insurance and term life insurance can all provide a means of paying off your mortgage. With each type of insurance, you pay regular premiums to keep the coverage in force.

Can life insurance be used to pay off a mortgage?

Life insurance can help protect a mortgage by providing a death benefit, which can be used to pay off the outstanding mortgage balance in the event of the policyholder's death. This ensures that surviving dependents or co-signers won't be burdened with mortgage payments they may struggle to afford.

How soon can I borrow from my life insurance policy?

When your policy has enough cash value (minimums vary by insurer), you can use it as collateral to request a loan from your insurance company. Keep in mind that if you have a newer policy it may take several years before it has accrued enough value for you to borrow against.

Can you take out money from your life insurance to buy a house?

Life Insurance Cash Value

The insurance company also provides a return on your cash value balance. 2 If your life insurance policy has cash value, you could take this money out to help buy your house by putting it toward your down payment or future mortgage payments.

Can life insurance be used to pay debt?

You can use a life insurance policy to help family members cover debts that could pass to them, or to simply make sure they'll have money after you're gone. One important note: If your policy's life insurance beneficiaries are no longer living, the death benefit may pass to your estate and be subject to creditors.

She Used Her Whole Life Policy to Pay off Her Mortgage

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Can you use life insurance money for anything?

Depending on your life insurance plan, you may be able to take a loan from your policy, use it as collateral for a loan, withdraw funds, receive “accelerated benefits” or cash out the policy.

When someone dies, what happens to their debt?

Most debts will be paid by your estate, out of your assets, before the remainder is distributed to your heirs. If the estate's assets do not cover all the debt, much of it will be forgiven.

What is the cash value of a $10,000 life insurance policy?

Say, for example, that you purchase an insurance policy with a face value of $10,000. Once the policy matures, the cash value of the policy should equal $10,000.

How to use life insurance for down payment?

Using a Life Insurance Policy for Down Payments

If you decide to use your life insurance policy's cash value for a down payment on a home, contact your insurer to determine your options. You may be able to retrieve loan options through your insurance company's website portal or app.

What life insurance can you cash out?

Permanent life insurance, such as universal and whole life policies, comes with a death benefit and a cash value account that you may can cash out while you're still living.

What kind of life insurance can you borrow against?

You can borrow from permanent life insurance policies that build cash value. These would typically include whole life and universal life (UL) policies. You cannot borrow against a term policy since there is no cash value associated with it.

How to use life insurance to build wealth?

4 ways to use whole life insurance as an investment
  1. Withdraw or take a loan on the cash value. ...
  2. Create generational wealth. ...
  3. Collect dividends. ...
  4. Surrender the policy (but only if you no longer need it)

How long does it take to build cash value on life insurance?

How fast does cash value build in life insurance? Most permanent life insurance policies begin to accrue cash value in 2 to 5 years. However, it can take decades to see significant cash value accumulation. Consult a licensed insurance agent to understand the policy's cash value projections before applying.

What is the insurance called that pays off a mortgage?

Mortgage life insurance, or mortgage protection insurance, is a unique form of life insurance designed to pay off the policyholder's mortgage if they pass away during the policy term.

What happens to a mortgage when someone dies?

Mortgage debt does not vanish when a homeowner dies — their liabilities, including any mortgage debt, are entered into an estate.

Is life insurance considered an asset for mortgage?

When it comes to mortgages, universal and whole life insurance policies can be considered an asset for the same reasons. If the cash value of the policy is higher than the fee you would pay to surrender the policy, mortgage underwriters consider it an asset during the application process.

Can you pay mortgage with life insurance?

Both term insurance and mortgage life insurance provide a means of paying off your mortgage. With either type of insurance, you pay regular premiums to keep the coverage in force. But with mortgage life insurance, your mortgage lender is the beneficiary of the policy rather than beneficiaries you designate.

Can I use my life insurance to pay my debt?

Yes, it can be done. If you have the right type of life insurance – whole life or universal life – and have been making on-time payments to it for an extended period, you may have accrued enough “cash value” in the policy to bury your credit card debt.

How to use my life insurance while I'm alive?

4 Ways to Use Life Insurance While You're Alive
  1. Take a Loan or Withdrawal From Your Policy. ...
  2. Use Your Cash Value to Pay Premiums. ...
  3. Use Your Living Benefit Rider. ...
  4. Sell Your Policy. ...
  5. Tips for Buying Life Insurance.

How much cash is a $100 000 life insurance policy worth?

A typical life settlement is worth around 20% of your policy value, but can range from 10-25%. So for a 100,000 dollar policy, you would be looking at anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 dollars.

Can a nursing home take your life insurance?

Nursing homes can't take a senior's life insurance benefits away from designated family beneficiaries to cover outstanding costs. However, nursing homes can accept payments from the resulting funds of a sold or surrendered policy.

How much tax will I pay if I cash out my life insurance?

Is life insurance cash value taxable? Fortunately, the cash value of life insurance grows tax-free. This means that, in many cases, you won't have to worry about paying taxes on it.

What happens if my husband died and my name is not on the mortgage?

If you inherit the house, you can assume the mortgage without triggering a due-on-sale clause, thanks to the Garn-St. Germain Act. If your name isn't on the mortgage, you may still have options, like refinancing or selling the home to pay off the balance.

Why shouldn't you always tell your bank when someone dies?

If you contact the bank before consulting an attorney, you risk account freezes, which could severely delay auto-payments and direct deposits and most importantly mortgage payments. You should call Social Security right away to tell them about the death of your loved one.

Can I access my husband's bank account when he dies?

Notifying banks about a death is one of the responsibilities of an executor or administrator of an estate. After they're told about a death, banks usually freeze any accounts so no one can access the money in them. Banks do this to make sure they release the money in the account to the right person.