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Life · Chapter 10 · Amount of Coverage

Capital Needs Analysis (Retention vs Liquidation)

Definition
A needs-approach method determining both immediate lump-sum needs (final expenses, death taxes, mortgage redemption, emergency and education reserves) and future income needs. Capital liquidation spends down principal for income; capital retention provides enough capital to generate income without depleting principal.
Exam tip
Retention needs MORE insurance than liquidation — the principal must survive intact.
Easy to confuse with

These are what this term gets tested against — if you can't tell them apart cold, drill the contrast.

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Verified against primary sources · 2026-08-10