Life insurance “� it doesn’t get any more straightforward than that. You know exactly what you’re getting when you hear or see those two words. However, as simple as life insurance is to understand, it can be quite complicated when it comes to getting the right policy. Use these tips to help guide your decision.
It is good practice to review and adjust your life insurance policy annually. Any major life event, such as the birth of a child, the purchase of a house or a child attending an expensive college, requires you to update your life insurance policy, otherwise, you could find yourself under-insured.
Your best bet would be to work with a financial adviser instead of a broker in order to get the best deal possible. If a broker convinces you to take out a life insurance policy, he or she will earn commission. Most financial advisers are compensated with a flat fee. This makes a financial adviser more likely to sell you a policy based solely on your needs, and not on the amount of commission he will earn.
Avoid the whole life policy and go with the term life policy instead. Whole life policies combine an investment with the standard term policy. The term life policy will pay out the amount of coverage that you have selected either in a lump sum or over the course of 20 to 30 years.
Term life insurance is a more affordable option for life insurance. It only covers you for a set period of years; it is usually sold for 10, 20, or 30 year periods. A term life insurance policy is usually much less expensive than a whole life insurance policy per month.
Familiarizing yourself with some common life insurance terms can help you determine which type is best for you, as well as how much coverage you want to purchase. Cash value refers to the portion of your policy that is available for you to withdraw as loans for various purposes, such as education costs or credit card debt. A premium is simply the periodic payment that you make to keep the policy active. Another term you might see is dividends, which refers to the money you may receive back on your premiums if the insurance company overestimated their expenses and ended up with a surplus. A dividend is not guaranteed.
Before purchasing life insurance, you must understand that insurance is for protection purposes only, which does not include investing. Term insurance gives you protection only, with no savings. Whole life and universal policies offer savings, but they are a lot more expensive and you would be better off using the cost savings to invest in something else.
You need to find out if there is any way to defer a payment on your life insurance policy if you find yourself in a financial bind. There are some insurance companies who are willing to work with their customers and may give you an extension on the due date for your premiums. You will need to talk to your agent to find out.
If you’re unsure about what type of life insurance policy to choose or how much coverage you need, consider hiring a financial professional to aid you with your decision. There are many complicated factors to consider when choosing life insurance, and a good financial professional will consider all of them in determining your needs.
When purchasing a life insurance policy, a great tip is to not make your insurance planning a complicated matter. You should aim to keep it as simple as possible. Since life insurance is meant to protect you, the policy you select should be the one that best fits your needs.
Purchasing your funeral plot in advance of your death will help your family save money once you’re gone. Unfortunately, spur-of-the-moment plot purchases bring out the unscrupulous nature of some in the funeral industry, and a plot after death can cost a lot more than a plot purchased well in advance.
Paying once every year instead of once every month might present a better way for you to handle your life insurance premiums. Not only can you keep better track of the payments this way, but it also allow you to pay in a lot less money by paying bulk per year instead of once every month.
For the most life insurance coverage at the lowest price, choose a term policy instead of whole life insurance. The high costs of whole life are due to the investment aspect and the fact that these polices result in a cash value, but it really is better to keep your investments separate from your insurance.
We all need help from time to time, especially when we don’t understand all of our options. Hopefully the tips in the article you just read gave you a few ideas about how you can save money and get an overall solid life insurance plan to protect the people you love after you pass on.
