在一月份的一期Business Insider读到这篇文章，觉得说得满中肯的。 因而把它节译出来，自勉并跟大家分享一下。

相信每个父母都希望自己的孩子有一个美好的未来，大多数也明白养育子女需要有个长期的规划。 但是父母们往往忙于应付生活中的日常事务，而将规划搁置一边。 同时，父母们往往为了孩子的幸福而牺牲自己的利益。 可惜我们每一个都只能活一次，犯了错不容许从头来过。 因而，做父母的一定要避免下面的这个常犯的错误：

1.   购买时髦、奢侈的婴儿用品
名牌婴儿用品比如推车、小床等等动则标价几百甚至上千，但是短暂的一两年之后，这些东西就没用了。 相反，如果买二手的或者从亲朋好友处借用，你可以节省高达80%的费用。

2.  没有足够的人寿保险
根据纽约人寿的一项调查，尽管每个家庭应该拥有14倍于家庭收入的人寿保险，美国家庭平均只有父母的工资三倍的人寿保险，也就是说如果父母双方中有一位出事，保额仅够维持三年。第四年开始，家庭生活将难以为继。

不难想像当一个家庭没有足够的人寿保险，如果夫妇双方有一位去世，家庭收入的一半也随之而去，另一位必须加倍努力工作，必须承受双倍的压力，孩子的课外活动和大学计划恐怕都要随之改变。


购买足够的人寿保险是你对家人最具爱心的礼物，相反不买人寿保险则是给家人的巨大负担！ 你需要多少人寿保险，可以有一些公式可以计算，但是最好是找专业人士咨询。


3. 延迟为孩子存大学学费
2013年毕业的学生中，10个中就有7个欠有超过$28,400的贷款。 学生贷款节节攀升，除了大学学费在过去10多年共增长100% 以外，家长没有尽早为孩子存学费也是原因之一。


4. 不帮孩子选择大学专业
10大就业和挣钱前景最差的大学本科专业： 
   Communication
   Psychology
   Theater Arts
   Fashion Design
   Sociology
   Liberal Arts
   Microelectronic Engineering
   Fine Arts
   Criminal Justice
   Hospitality and Tourism

10大回报和就业前景最好的大学本科专业：
No. 10: Civil Engineering
No. 9: Logistics
No. 8: Health Care Administration
No. 7: Petroleum Engineering
No. 6: Actuarial Science
No. 5: Biomedical Engineering
No. 4: Financial Planning
No. 3: Geography
No. 2: Marketing
No. 1: Computer Science

5. 不过问、不帮助孩子申请大学助学金、奖学金
如果家长不管不问，孩子在填报FASA申请表时犯一个小错误，就有可能致使该得的助学金拿不到或少拿、迟拿。

6. 让孩子养成不切实际的期望


7. 疏于培育夫妻感情，忽略配偶的需求


8. 不教孩子财务知识
父母对孩子今后的理财行为和习惯有巨大的影响，而且他们对于金钱的观念在很小的时候就已经定型，所以父母应该在孩子还小的时候就要交给他们一些基本的财务知识，教会他们怎么合理花钱、储蓄及做预算等等。

9. 给孩子树立理财的坏典型


10. 没有足够的退休储蓄

Too Many Parents Make These Mistakes With Their Money 

Every loving parent has hopes and dreams for their children, whether it's about college, falling in love and starting a family, or finding their passion in life.

But most of all, most parents want the same thing — for their children to grow up and live happy, productive lives.

But having kids requires more than just dreaming about the future; it requires planning for it.

And even when parents have the best intentions, it's easy to let proper planning slide when you're busy living for today.

Meanwhile, there are times when parents focus so much on their children's happiness and success that they sacrifice their own well-being.

Life doesn't always give us a do-over, and there are times when we have to sleep in the bed we've made. But it doesn't have to be that way, and your children's lives may be drastically improved if you are able to avoid the most common financial mistakes parents make.

Here are 10 situations parents should avoid at all costs (and what you can do instead):

1. Splurging for fancy new baby stuff
Walk into any big-box baby store and you'll discover football fields of strollers, baby carriers, and various baby gadgets and gizmos. But do you need all of it? Not a chance.

All that baby gear doesn't come cheap. According to Investopedia, a new stroller costs an average of $400, while a new bouncy seat or swing can cost $200 or more. Add to that the average cost of $1,100 for baby furniture and you're out $1,700 before the baby even makes it home from the hospital.

Fortunately, parents who would rather spend those funds elsewhere can save up to 80% buying used baby gear from Craigslist or borrowing from family or friends instead. You don't need the latest model or the priciest brand when it comes to most baby gear. Buy used and save your money for other necessities instead.

2. Not buying enough life insurance
A recent study from New York Life Insurance revealed that the average American only has enough life insurance to cover about three years of his or her salary, even though the goal is to have 14 years of coverage for the breadwinner of the family.

"My question is: What happens in the fourth year? If you pass away, your paycheck goes away and your family is still in need of income," said Chris Blunt, co-president of the Insurance and Agency Group, New York Life, in reaction to the study.

It's not too hard to imagine what can happen if a parent dies with inadequate life insurance coverage. In many cases, the surviving parent will have to work harder and longer, and under considerably more stress than they would have otherwise. And without proper funds in the family's coffers, school activities and college planning could suffer, too. After all, in a one-parent household, there is simply that much less money to go around.

If you want to get an idea of how much life insurance you need, try a life insurance calculator or contact a local broker for advice. Buying enough life insurance is a huge gift to your family, but not doing so can produce an equally huge burden.

Flickr / Merrimack College  Freshman year move-in day will be here before you know it.



3. Delaying saving for college
Almost seven in 10 students from the Class of 2013 owed an average of $28,400 on their student loans last year, and that figure makes them the most debt-heavy class of college graduates ever. There are plenty of reasons why experts say the costs of college continue rising, but none of them changes the fact that parents who wait to save aren't doing themselves any favors.

For example, tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year schools in Colorado cost just $4,696 per year during the 2004-05 school year, yet that figure climbed to $9,487 per year by 2014-15, according to College Board statistics. That's an increase of over 100% increase in 10 years. Simply put, college costs are rising, and parents who didn't start saving early enough will find themselves woefully unprepared. Here's a guide to help you start saving now for you child's education.

4. Not helping kids choose a major
The choice to attend college shouldn't just be a personal decision; it's a financial decision, too. That's why parents should do as much as they can to educate their kids about the potential outcomes of any college major they're interested in.

For example, we recently wrote about 10 college majors with a relatively unimpressive return on investment, as well as 10 college majors that get high marks. Meanwhile, any parent can sit with their child and surf BLS.gov for information on employment projections, annual mean wages for specific careers, and more.

Parents who fail to at least try to help their kids make a responsible decision could be setting them up for more debt than they can handle, a lifetime of low earnings, and many unnecessary struggles.

5. Not assisting with the financial aid process
Kids who want to go to college need our help navigating the complex world of financial aid and college admissions if we want them to succeed. Even a simple mistake on a FAFSA form can delay financial aid processing and make it hard to plan for the future. Meanwhile, failing to seek out available scholarships and grants (and apply for them) could mean missing out on tens of thousands of dollars in available aid.

Parents who check out of the process and don't help their kids set them up for delays in student aid, higher overall costs, and more debt. If you want to help your kids get through school with as little financial cost as possible, sit down with them and explore the ins and outs of college planning together. Because when it comes to exploring financial aid options, a little bit of effort can go a long way. (Related: College Financial Guide: Filling Out the FAFSA.)

Flickr / Jim Bauer What will they want at 16, if they have an iPad at 6?

6. Encouraging unrealistic expectations
We all know children who have a laptop and iPhone by the time they're 12, but is that always a good idea? Probably not. The MTV show "Sweet Sixteen" demonstrated what happens when childhood expectations get out of control. I've often wanted to ask those parents what on Earth they were thinking. Unless you plan on having $20,000 birthday parties for each subsequent kid in perpetuity, you have to draw the line somewhere, right?

Although some experts argue that there is no such thing as a spoiled child, it's hard to imagine that having everything at a young age will make adulthood any easier. Simply put, teaching kids that instant gratification is the norm can set them up for a lifetime of disappointment and expectations that are largely unrealistic. Unfortunately, this is yet another lesson that many parents learn too late.

7. Not nurturing your marriage
According to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the divorce rate for parents over 50 has been growing steadily for the last half-century and has even doubled since 1990. Many experts place the blame for the phenomenon on the fact that so many parents put the kids first while neglecting their spouse or significant other.

"Parenting involves lots of compromise and sacrifice," says Dr. Gregory Ramey, vice president for outpatient services at a hospital in the Dayton, Ohio, area and author of FamilyWise, a weekly parenting column in the Dayton Daily News. "Always putting your children first is bad for them, bad for you, and bad for your relationship with your spouse."

And that growing divorce rate? Aside from the fact that marital problems can make everyone in the family miserable, divorce has its own financial implications. One in five women falls into poverty as a result of divorce, according to a study by noted marriage researchers Drs. Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher. Meanwhile, individuals would need "more than a 30% increase in income, on average, to maintain the same standard of living they had prior to their divorce."

8. Not teaching kids about money
Kids who never learn about money may be destined for failure in the real world. Why? Because people who aren't taught basic financial literacy may have trouble with tasks such as balancing a checkbook, writing a check, or budgeting. Add in the fact that many kids never learn how to save money and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Financial planner and author Shannon Ryan of TheHeavyPurse.com recommends that all parents teach their kids basic financial literacy while they're young, in addition to helping them learn how to save, share, and spend a percentage of their earnings.

"One of my biggest a-ha's as a Certified Financial Planner has been how much our parents influence our relationship with money and how our money habits and beliefs form in our childhood," says Ryan. "We often think it happens much later, when our kids are in their teens or are young adults, but by that time, their money habits and beliefs have deep roots."

The lesson: Start early and teach often. Our children are not only listening, they're also watching.

9. Setting a bad financial example
If you don't have a grasp on financial concepts yourself, it is far harder to impart those lessons to children. If you're a financial train wreck, or if you constantly set a bad example, you're not only harming yourself, but you're also teaching your kids how to do the same.

And doing so comes at a cost. Living beyond your means, not saving adequately for the future, and piling on debt can leave you unable to help your kids with college, weddings, or any other endeavors they may want to take on as adults. Even worse, your kids might end up having to take care of you.

Flickr / Marcel OosterwijkParents shouldn't forget to save for themselves.

10. Not saving adequately for retirement
According to the fifth annual Wells Fargo middle-class retirement study, one-third of middle-class Americans do not contribute anything to a 401(k) retirement account or comparable investment vehicle. Meanwhile, 31% claimed they didn't think they would have enough money to survive in retirement.

Even scarier may be the fact that 55% of respondents say they plan to save later for retirement in order to make up for not saving enough now. But what happens when those savings never materialize?

Unfortunately, we all know exactly what happens. Those who are supposed to retire on time end up working longer and sacrificing just to keep the lights on and food on the table. And those unable to work often fare worse, sometimes scraping by on Social Security alone. The lesson: Never wait to start saving for retirement.  The perfect time doesn't exist.

Creating happy families … one decision at a timeKids don't come with a handbook. For that reason alone, it's crucial we all decide on the values and financial lessons we hope to impart to our children — and take the steps to do so.  Life isn't always easy, but it becomes infinitely harder for everyone when we fly through life without a plan — or worse, a bad one.

If you want to help your family get ahead, start planning now and try to think far past today and well into next year, the next five years, and even the next decade. Ask yourself what you can do now to improve your family's life down the road — then do it.

Your future self, and your children, will thank you.


Read more: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/10-financial-mistakes-too-many-parents-make/#ixzz3SwjbovZW

http://blog.creaders.net/davidfan/user_blog_diary.php?did=177116

近十几年来不少先富起来的中国人走出国门，寻求新的投资理财工具，其中一些人把眼光聚焦到美国的人寿保险上，有些客户也常问起外国人如何买美国的人寿保险, 本人在文学城和万维网的博客(“日月楼主人”)也常收到读者的来信,今天的专栏就谈谈这个问题,有需要的欢迎与本人电话联系.

先说说美国的身份划分.在美国的居民 (US Person)一般分为四大类：公民、绿卡、非居民外国人（non-resident alien）以及非法移民.从买保险的角度考虑，公民和绿卡没有多大差别，保险公司在审核时基本上是一视同仁。如果是绿卡持有人，有些公司会要绿卡复印件，有的会要你另外填一张表，问你是否经常去外国旅行。如果是偶然的休假或探亲，一般都不会有问题。当然如果你在申请过程中，说要去伊拉克、阿富汗、中东等危邦、乱邦出入，保险公司可能会把你的申请挂起来（suspend），等你平安回来后再说。如果没有绿卡，但短期在美居留的人士，有合法身份，有社保号码，一般也能买到人寿保险，但保费可能会比公民和绿卡人士贵一些。至于第四类即非法进入美国，现在又没有合法身份的人士，一般很难买到人寿保险。

现在来谈谈外国人(foreigners)，他们没有美国身份，也不居住在美国，偶尔到美国来或旅游或出差，比如现在很多中国大陆人士到美国旅游兼购物，有的还在美国买房置产，或为投资或为子女上学居住，这些人士以前是买不到美国的人寿保险的，因为他们没有美国身份。这几年很多保险公司为了抢食这块大饼，开始放宽限制，容许居住在外国的外国人购买美国的人寿保险。一般要求如下:第一,投保人必须持有效护照和签证,合法进入美国;第二,在美国填写人寿保险申请表,并在美国进行身体检查(主要是抽血、验尿、量身高体重、做简单的心电图等)，现在有一家保险公司还允许投保人在香港体检。体检不收费。第三，投保人必须提供大陆的病历资料，可以是中文，保险公司会找人翻译。第四，如果来自大陆沿海大城市如北京、上海、广州，投保人身体健康，也可以拿到很好的rate.第五，投保金额必须是100万以上，只受永久性保险，不接受定期保险（term life）.

保费的付款方式：一般保险公司都要求投保人在美国银行开设支票账户, 投保人每年开支票付保费，保险公司也可以以自动转账的方式从银行每月收取保费。现在还有一、二家保险公司甚至允许客人从香港银行直接电汇保费到保险公司的户头。

为什么要买美国的人寿保险？ 中国大陆保险公司也很多，为什么很多富裕起来的中国人还要跑到美国来买保险？这里头原因很多，最重要的因素包括，第一，美国的保险公司重信誉，人死了是一定会赔钱的（当然头两年自杀除外），本人从业十几年也处理过好些起死亡理赔的，从来没有发生过保险公司找借口不赔或是故意拖延理赔的，而在中国大陆买的保险到时是否赔钱谁也不敢肯定，尤其是大额保单。上世纪90年代大连空难，保险公司就因有人上飞机前多买了几份保单而断定是自杀炸飞机而拒绝赔钱。第二，人寿保险业在美国是个成熟而发达的市场，保费在全世界来说也是最便宜的。有公司专门做过比较，发现在美、中、香港和台湾买同样的保险，美国的保费只有中国大陆的五分之一，香港的三分之一、台湾的二分之一。也就是说，买同样的保险，在中国大陆所花费的钱是美国的5倍。

 外国人买美国保险的好处：第一,可用保险理赔来付遗产税. 很多中国人来美国投资房地产, 但他们可能不知道外国人过世后，其在美国的资产(主要指房地产)超过6万美元的就要付遗产税，税率40%,而且人死后9个月就要file 税表706NA, 付现金。如果有人寿保险就不用担心没有现金来付遗产税. 第二，在美国,人寿保险上的现金值是不受官司的追讨，这个人就是坐牢了，别人也休想动他保险上的钱，而在中国，这样的保障恐怕是天方夜谈。第三,买人寿保险既是分散投资的一种方式,也是分散风险的最佳选择.大家都知道在中国大陆,不论当官还是经商现在都是高风险的职业,一旦东窗事发(官员被双规,商人被下狱),财产多半要被没收,所以现在大陆不论是高官还是富豪都想方设法把资产转移到海外,以防不测.很多人买美国的人寿保险,把大把的现金投到保险上就是看中了人寿保险有官司保障的功能.既使日后被引渡回去了,放在保险上的现金值别人也拿不走.第四，很多永久性的保险还有储蓄功能，一次放进去一大笔钱，或每年放进去一笔钱，若干年保险上的现金值可能累积到可观的数额，日后可以拿出来用，没有税的问题。

      3/25/2014

- See more at: http://blog.creaders.net/davidfan/user_blog_diary.php?did=177116#sthash.TZabF8ii.dpuf

原文见： 
http://www.51nyc.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=55&id=2

在花钱的观念上。美国人同中国人有很大的不同。中国人的传统观念是‘创业维艰，守成不易”，愿意把财产积攒起来，传之后人。但在美国，即使有这样的想法也完全行不通。

  美国法律规定；人死之后必须交付遗产转让税。这种法律条文使美国的人寿保险业受到推崇。因为一个人如将钱存入银行或买成地产、房产等，死后便由律师、会计师等清查财产，然后通知税务部门向死者家属发出美国遗产税表，向其征收资产税、增值所得税、遗产税、收入所得税；统称遗产转让税，此外还要付遗嘱法庭费、财产鉴估费、行政费、执行费、律师费、联邦财产税等，苛捐杂税，不一而足，约占一个人全部遗留财产的15—60%。而人寿保险规定，当投保人死亡时，人寿保险公司所赔的钱不付所得税；投保人意外死亡时，人寿保险公司加倍付钱，也不付所得税。所以，美国人大都愿意保人寿险，把钱花在这种“看不见的财产”上．为自己的继承人保全财产。

  买终生储蓄保险一定要通过分析来买,不是只看你的收入,还要看你的支出。保险的本质是风险的转移,买多了是浪费,买少了保障不够,得不到应有的保障,做保险是要调查整个家庭情况,包括工作,资产负债,收入支出等,家庭情况作一个全面的分析,作全面的规划,包括保险,退休规划,房产规划,子女教育规划,投资规划,个人所得税规划等作全面规划,避免各项规划的冲突,实现你的理财目标。 
  

      购买人寿保险的优势：

年轻——购买保险最好年龄。保费低，储蓄期长，回报高。

年老——退还保费计划专为老年人设计（退还所有保费+保险面额）。

没钱——每天少喝一杯咖啡就可以拥有几十万美金的保障。

没身份——没有绿卡身份照样可以投保，某些符合条件的大陆居民也可以买美国的保险。

想回国——保险理赔不分国界。

想开店——分散投资是明智之举。

投资股票和房产——投资保险至少100%回报。

投资保险几大好处：保费固定，储蓄，利息高，免交税，退休补贴，自选年限，含伤 病 残 计划。

       
人寿保险有什么功能？目的是什么？

最基本的功能就是保障。当投保人因受伤,疾病或者年老而去世， 保险公司将投保的赔偿金交给受益人。目前主要的人寿保险，尤其是长期的人寿保险，除了保障外，还有累积资金的功能， 有钱存下来供将来使用。目前储蓄型保险主要用处和目的是：个人储蓄，贷款债务保护，退休补贴，儿女未来教育支出，生活开销，生意投资，买房，旅游开销补助，个人贷款（保单贷款无需信用纪录，无任何申批手续，但需视保单现金值额度）资金流动，等等。

谁需要人寿保险？

任何人。长期的人寿保险有累积保单现金值功能，你可以通过保单现金值货款和提取红利来享受“生前福利”，如用来补充您的退休收入，帮助支付您子女的教育，或者支付家庭和企业开支等。

同时，人寿保险可以保障您的家人及其你有关爱的人在你万一你走的时候，避免经济财务上的麻烦！

我很早就买了人寿保险，现在需要更新吗？

保险的目标就是保障，十几二十年前的经济情况和现在已经有很大的不同了，未来世界经济发展不稳定，您的收入转变，物价上涨，通货膨涨，生活水平提高，家庭状况的变化，你身边每年都会有些变化，因此非常有必要和保险经纪人保持联系，保险公司是金融理财公司，当你购买人寿保险时，你的保险经纪人就成为了你的终生免费的私人业务代表及理财顾问，他可以帮到提供一些理财规划建议让你可以更充分得管理你的财务，并为你保密。

我在工作机构有了人寿保险，何必另外再买？

虽然工作单件有提供团体人寿保险，不需要付或很便宜。但其价值是有限的。 请留意这些事实：那些人寿保险的保额有限， 往往不敷实际需要或未达适当保险的需要， 而且一旦离职退休， 迅速减额或者失效。届时想再自己申请个人的人寿保险， 有可能因身体状况或其他因素而不容易办到合理的，高质量的人寿保险，明智谨慎的人， 大多尽早办好自己个人的人寿保险。

人死了，什么都不用管，何必买人寿保险呢？

买人寿保险不是因为有人会死，而是因为有人还要活着。当你仙游之后， 你的家人还要活着， 他们需要生活费，教育费或还债！

人寿保险不是一个好的投资，为什么我要做这种投资？

人寿保险本来不不是投资， 是保障， 也就没有所谓是好或不好的投资。

我还年轻，何必这么早买人寿保险？

“如果有一个醉酒鬼开车迎面撞过来， 他那双蒙眬醉眼， 是不会看清你是年轻还是年老的。”

没错，年轻人病死的机会比较低，但出现意外事故的机会似乎人人平等。我们不妨趁年轻时身体好，可以用比较低的保险费尽早办好人寿保险， 免得日后身体与其他条件有了不利的变化， 难以获得保险;

此外，对于终身储蓄型保险，年纪越轻，身体越好，保费就越便宜，还可以有更足够的时间来帮自己做理财储蓄计划。还可以尽早累积一笔资金供将来使用。

我没有绿卡，可以申请保险吗？

可以！（详情请咨询保险经纪人）

我不想买人寿保险，因为买人寿保险不吉利。

人寿保险就像是一个护身符！买人寿保险最吉利。 因为保险公司觉得你身体健康，精神好，会长命， 所以愿意卖给你。如果保险公司或代理失去了对你的兴趣， 不想卖保险给你， 你会体会到什么是不吉利。

我的亲戚朋友叫我不要买人寿保险， 多一事不如少一事。

当你身体不舒服，你找医生咨询还是向亲戚朋友请教？如果你依亲戚朋友所言不买人寿保险， 但后来不幸出了事， 你的家人应当还是不该找你的亲戚朋友算帐？建议你还是找一个有水平，负责任的保险代理人探讨一下，再做决定。

开支很多，捉襟见肘，怎么办？

正因为开支多，才更加需要人寿保险。现在你仍在赚钱， 你的家用已经感到紧张，若万一出事，你的家人不是更难应付因为少了你的收入而引起的经济困难吗？你可以先办理最基本的，只提供保障功能而没有红利累积功能的寿险， 日后预算较宽时才考虑转为有累积资金功能的保险。建议你在此情况下及早预约保险经纪人，免费咨询到有关保险对于自身情况可以提供到的保障.以便给自己及时做准备。

      赵本山有句台词“人这辈子最痛苦的是，人死了钱没花完；比这更痛苦的是人活着，钱没了！”赵氏的金钱观虽不足取，却真实反映出人生有两忧：死得早或者活太久！如不未雨绸缪，两者都会给幸福的家庭生活造成巨大的经济损失或财务冲击！

      拥有人寿保单，死太早意味着巨额赔偿；活太久意味着终生有收入！选择购买人寿保险产品是家庭理财的明智选择，是美国生活方式的最佳依托和保障！建议每个朋友最好在自己身体健康、工作和挣钱能力最强时额外支出一点掏得起的钱，为自己和家庭准备一份人寿保险计划，轻松面对人生！

【大纪元2013年06月16日讯】（大纪元记者洛杉矶张岳工业市报导）近年华人来美购房之势日盛，包括来自中国的短期旅游者。中国人讲究子承父业，老子的房产自动会由儿女继承，这好像是顺理成章不用质疑的事情。然而在美国，因为高税额的遗产税和相对复杂的资产移交程序，儿女未必能顺利继承父母的房产。6月9日在工业市举办的“新移民专家论坛”上，理财顾问廖彬淳先生与观众分享了他在这方面的经验和心得。遗产税必须9个月内现金付清

对于有美国公民或绿卡身份的，所购房产在做赠与或遗产继承时，每人有525万美元免税额(夫妻共有1050万元免税额，2013年数值)。可是，对于没有美国身份的、平时大多时间身居中国的“非税务居民”，遗产免税额仅有6万美金。而一般房产目前市价多在几十万美金以上，而且遗产税(高达40%的比例)，必须要在资产所有者逝世后的9个月内以现金方式全额缴清。

廖彬淳举了一个发生不久的实例。40岁的中国籍王先生，2008年来美旅游用自己的名字在南加州海岸买了一栋当时价值约300万美元的房子，4年后，房子增值到400万美元。可是王先生不幸意外过世了。他的太太从中国来到美国准备继承这栋房产，遇到了棘手的遗产税问题。

依照遗产税计算公式，市价400万美金减去免税额6万美金，有394万美金需要缴纳遗产税，乘以税率40%，税额为157.6万元，要在9个月内以现金的方式缴清，这谈何容易。前车之辙，后车之鉴。作为未亡者，我们应该怎么办？

人寿保险可解遗产税之困

廖彬淳建议，外国人在美国购置房产的同时，一定要记得加买一份人寿保险。一旦房产业主过世，人寿保险可以用来付清遗产税，从而使房产能够顺利由家族中未亡人继承。这个建议同样适用于有美国身份的人，因为让家人在9个月内拿出遗产40%以上金额的现金，一般会有困难。

购买人寿保险须注意的事项

廖彬淳教给大家一个最简单的办法，首先看页数。寿险报价表(illustration)通常都会有10多页，如果某保险经纪人给你的报价表只有两三页，那肯定是不对的。

拿到报价表后，要问几个问题：身故理赔金(Death Benefit)能保证至多大岁数？账户现金值(Guarantee Cash Value)保证为多少？

寿险报价单上除了保证项目，还有非保证的栏目，那些数字是仅供参考的，不可完全当真，否则会被误导。另外，许多类型的寿险，投保人的保险成本(Cost of Insurance)会逐年增加，会抵减保单现金值，一旦现金值变成0，保单会失效。

什么是保险成本？保险成本并不是保费（premium）。保险公司每年必须从保险账户扣除的费用依据性别、年龄、投保金额、身体状况等计算得出。年龄越大，保险成本越高。