Most people think of life insurance as a necessary expense. It’s something that you almost begrudgingly pay for, in the hope that you’ll never need it, but with the expectation that it will protect your family’s finances, should the worst happen. What most people don’t realize, however, is that life insurance can be used as an extremely useful estate-planning tool that can go far beyond keeping your family financially secure. It can help maximize your estate’s value and ensure that your will is distributed fairly, all while funding your estate’s tax liabilities.