Life insurance is meant to help your loved ones survive, should you pass on. Read through this article and see what it has to offer for you.
When choosing life insurance, be sure to have a good idea of how much money your loved ones will require. This is important because of the amount of debt that they might be left with the burden of paying off after you die. Consider car payments, mortgage, credit card debts, funeral and burial costs, and the cost of raising children.
Term life might be the cheapest insurance, but keep in mind that it does expire. Term insurance is attractive because of the lower cost, which is why many people buy it. You must remember, however, that traditional life insurance policies are more permanent and you can always borrow against them down the road. By comparison, term life only lasts while you make payments on it, so if you stop paying, there is no value or coverage.
Be sure to read over all of the information about the life insurance plan that your company offers. You may find that it will not be enough. You may want to invest in an additional policy to be sure that your family is going to have enough money in the event of your passing.
Avoid paying high commissions when you are purchasing life insurance. These commissions fees are paid to the agent or broker and are usually included in your premium cost. You can save a lot of money with “no load” policies if you can locate an insurance company who will directly sell you this type of policy.
You may be able to save a significant amount of money on your life insurance by paying your premiums annually instead of monthly. Insurance companies often have extra fees for customers who pay every month instead of just once a year. Ask your insurer if you can switch to an annual payment.
Choose a policy that specifically meets your needs. Life insurance can be tailored in many ways. Ask about riders that provide benefits such as an advance on the death benefit. If the insured contracts a terminal illness, this allows them to have money to pay for medical costs, although it does reduce the face value of the policy.
Before purchasing life insurance, you should fully grasp the difference between term insurance and permanent insurance because this can help you make a better decision about what kind of policy you need. A term insurance policy should cover most of your debt and financial needs, so therefore, a term insurance policy may be best for you. Do not let a representative tell you that you should purchase permanent insurance because a term insurance policy is only better in certain situations.
Life insurance can help ease the burden to your family by helping with funeral and burial expenses. Policies also pay your family an amount that you designate. For a relatively low monthly cost, your family can be covered $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, or another amount that is right for you.
Buy the right amount of life insurance to cover all of your needs. Skimping on life insurance is not a good idea. Term insurance, especially, is very affordable, so make sure you get as much insurance as you need. For a rule of thumb, consider buying insurance that equals approximately 6 to 10 times your income.
Consider term life insurance to provide education funds for your children. Especially if you are a single parent, term life insurance is a very affordable type of protection that can provide for college costs and other expenses for your children. Once your kids have finished their education, you can drop the coverage.
Buy your life insurance policy from a reliable company that is still likely to be around to pay your death benefit should you pass away 10, 20 or 50 years from the time you purchase it. Avoid unfamiliar insurance companies that don’t have a proven track record. You’re much safer going with one of the well-known companies that have been in business for decades.
Focus on your health to further reduce life insurance costs. Taking actions such as quitting smoking or losing weight can have a positive impact on premiums for life insurance, as it reduces your total risk to the insurance company. Most life insurance policies require some sort of health examination, so taking steps to improve your health before the exam can significantly affect the total premium you end up paying.
Purchasing a whole life or universal life insurance policy can be prohibitively expensive for many families. These types of policy do not have an expiration date and allow the purchaser to save more money in the long run. A majority of families purchase term life insurance instead, because it is less expensive and provides protection should the unthinkable happen.
Considering how important this matter is, you really must have a solid grasp on what constitutes a good policy for you and your needs. Use what you learn from this article in order to do this.
