Should I Sell My Life Insurance Policy?

Michael J. Antonello, an accomplished violinist and fine art collector, leads Golden Valley Financial as principal. With Michael (Mike) Antonello’s oversight, the company provides services in business, retirement, estate, and life settlement.

Life settlement refers to selling a life insurance policy to a third party. This process grants policyholders a one-time payout of a portion of the policy’s value, ensuring they have the cash they need to cover healthcare costs, living expenses, or other needs.

Since life insurance policies pay a death benefit to the policyholder’s dependents, selling such a policy may be a good option if you have no dependents. In this situation, there is no one to use the death benefit of your policy, so you have no reason to continue paying premiums on it. You may also decide to sell your life insurance policy because the premiums have become unmanageable with your income.

When you decide to sell your life insurance policy, there are some considerations to remember. Usually, the death benefits paid to your dependents are tax-free. But this is not the case with cash payouts from the sale of your policy. When you sell your policy, you will have to pay normal income taxes on the amount you receive.

If you do not need the money from a life settlement, you may be tempted to halt premium payments and simply let your policy lapse. However, donating the policy is a better option. This keeps you from having to pay income taxes on the payment since you will not receive any money from the sale of your policy.

For information about Michael J. Antonello, visit https://michaelantonello.com/home.

Michael Antonello Performs Solo Violin on Bach Unaccompanied

A longtime presence in the Minnesota community, Michael Antonello is a violinist and concertmaster who has been collaborating with pianist and composer Peter Arnstein for more than two decades. Among Michael J. Antonello’s solo albums is Bach Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas, which features his 1742 Guarneri del Gesù violin.

Composed between 1703 and 1720, Bach’s solo violin works reflect inspiration he took from his collaborative period with Joahnn Westhoff, an older Weimar composer. Bach was eminently capable at solo violin, having received more extensive training on the instrument than the harpsichord and the organ, which he later mastered. Sometimes incorporating polyphony, these solo pieces are unique in the way in which they expose the essence of the composer when presented before an audience. Almost strictly melodic, with very few harmonic counterpoints, the pieces are densely packed with musical expression.

A Fanfare Magazine review by Lynn René Bayley commends Antonello’s tasteful interpretations, which feature “exquisite tone” and “tremendous feeling.” The violinist is particularly adept in combining rich tonalities and excellent pitch with a steady rhythm that is relentless in its progression in pieces such as the Prelude to the E-Major Partita. For the reviewer, a distinct highlight is the slow movements such as the Sarabande of the D Minor Partita, in which the rhythm is relaxed and the emotive qualities of the instrument come to the fore.

A Brief History and Overview of Stradivarius Violins

Stradivarius Violins
Image: Stradivarius.org

Saint Paul, Minnesota, resident Michael J. Antonello (michaelantonello.com) is a professional concert violinist who has produced 18 highly acclaimed CDs. Michael J. Antonello purchased two of the most famous violins ever made, the 1742 Guarneri del Gesu and 1720 golden period “Ex-Rochester” Stradivarius violin.

Stradivari violins were created by Antonio Stradivari in his Cremona, Italy-based shop in the late 1600s and early 1700s. For over 250 years, Stradivari’s interpretation of design and geometry has served as a model for others who make violins. Thousands of violins have since been created as a tribute to Stradivari and are labelled as Stradivarius violins.

Violins made by Stradivari himself are typically marked with a date and have a Latin inscription, which says “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno”. In the 19th century, copies of the products produced by Italian masters of the 17th and 18th centuries also came onto the market. Though these instruments are marked with the name of the master, they actually indicate which original model the instrument was designed after. With that said, the authenticity of a violin can only be recognized by making a comparative study of the instrument’s specific wood characteristics, design, and varnish texture.