Life insurance protects families if something should happen to the main breadwinner. Although discussing the possibility of losing a family member seems grim, it’s an important part of a family’s financial planning. Life insurance provides financial flexibility in difficult times, and can prevent the remaining family’s financial devestation if something happens.
When considering life insurance, it is best to buy it as soon as possible in your career. Rates will only go up as you get older, and with the addition of other ailments that you might be diagnosed with you may not even qualify for coverage. Start as early as you can and try to lock in a low rate.
Be the early bird when it comes to purchasing life insurance. One way to save money on life insurance is to purchase it early in life while one is still in good health. Insurance premiums can be quite high for those who wait too late or until health problems are emerging.
Be careful to not buy too much or too little insurance coverage. The general rule of thumb is to have at least 5 to 7 times your current salary as your benefit amount. Keep in mind what will have to be covered based on your families needs. Many people also make the mistake of buying too much and end up with inflated insurance premiums for coverage they don’t really need.
When choosing a financial representative to assist you in the life insurance policy purchase process, ensure that you select an individual that you feel at ease with. This person should understand and acknowledge your goals and needs so as to be able to provide the best advice regarding products that are right for your situation.
If you are looking to purchase a life insurance policy and you are a smoker, try to quit. This is because most life insurance companies will not provide insurance to a smoker, as they are more at risk to getting lung cancer and other smoking-related conditions. Companies that will provide insurance to a smoker will usually charge higher premium rates.
When choosing life insurance policies, make sure you understand the difference between term and permanent life insurance. Term insurance is good for a set period – once it expires – the insured does not receive benefits. Permanent insurance, while more expensive, accumulates cash value and is guaranteed to stay in force, as long as the policy payments continue.
Purchasing term life insurance, as opposed to full-life insurance, is a wise choice for most consumers, but selecting the right term length is key. Factors to consider as you select the term is your own age, the age of your dependents, the nature of your financial commitments, as well as what you can reasonably afford. You may want to consider basing the term around fulfillment of milestone expenses like when your youngest child will have graduated from college or when the house will be fully paid off. Alternatively, many people choose a term that covers them until they can access their retirement resources. Whatever your own considerations may be, choosing your term length thoughtfully will bring many years of peace of mind.
Think about getting term life insurance. It will give you the highest coverage for the least amount of money. While there is no saving with this type of plan, you could just invest the savings on your own, and earn more than you would have with the insurance company save it.
When you are choosing life insurance, make sure you are only paying for what you need. Think about what your life insurance will need to cover. It may need to pay for the funeral, a mortgage, or college for kids. Or if you have a separate account for your children’s college, you would not want to pay for that.
If you are buying a new life insurance policy, the best time for you to actually make the purchase is before you hit your half birthday. Insurance companies don’t use your actually age, but what they call your “age nearest”. So If you will be 30 in 6 months, they will consider you 30 now, and you will be paying a little more.
Compare all your life insurance options before deciding on a policy. Life insurance policies take many forms, and a renewable policy from one company may be active for a longer period of time. Also, two of the same policy could have similar benefits, but one could be more costly than the other. It is entirely dependent on your needs, so be sure to do your research to ensure your life insurance meets your expectations.
Every parent would like to make sure that their children are taken care of if something should happen to them. Life insurance doesn’t have to be a costly venture. If you can follow the advice laid out above, you can find the right package for the right price.
