Life can take a drastic turn at any moment. That is why it is important, for a healthy peace of mind, to have the right life insurance that fits you.
If you are considering which life insurance is best, these factors below will help determine the type of life insurance to purchase and when to get it.
Table of Contents
What Is Life Insurance?
Life insurance is a contract between an individual and an insurance company. You can do this privately or through an employer.
As part of the contract, you will pay either monthly or yearly premiums. The insurance company is then legally required to pay a predetermined amount to a designated person or people after your death.
Permanent Life Insurance
Permanent insurance has two main categories. This type of insurance will last the remainder of your life unless stated otherwise.
Whole life insurance
You must remain up to date on the set premium required to keep this insurance active.
Whole life insurance builds up value over time. You can retrieve part of this sum if you forfeit that account.
Universal life insurance
Universal life insurance offers the client the ability to choose investments. This insurance is more susceptible to change and depending on how you manage your plan, the premiums may change.
Term Life Insurance
As the name suggests, this type of life insurance is set for a specific amount of time. This term will most likely be between 10 and 30 years. However, you can make changes to the term during that time.
Term life insurance does not store value. Unless you convert the money, it will be gone at the end of the term. This is the most affordable form of life insurance.
Convertible or Combination Life Insurance
This type of policy allows you to have the affordability of a term policy with the option of converting it into a whole life policy later on. This may even help you keep premiums low by skipping a medical exam in your later years.
Social and Financial Determinates
If you are considering a life insurance plan, one of the biggest factors is the cost itself. The particular circumstances of applicants will determine the price of life insurance.
These factors and your current situation in life will have a huge part to play in determining which life insurance is best for you.
Age
The older a person becomes, the closer they get to their life expectancy. As you get older the premiums on life insurance will increase. Companies will tend to give younger clients lower premiums.
Lifestyle and Occupation
This is where an insurance company analyzes the risk of an individual’s job and hobbies. If a person’s job is more dangerous than others, they will require a higher premium. If the individual participates in dangerous hobbies, like white water rafting, then their costs might increase as well.
Health
Insurance companies heavily scrutinize the current health of the applicant. If the applicant uses alcohol or tobacco, these will cause an increase in premiums.
The use of tobacco and alcohol can lead to other serious health problems. If you are an alcoholic and are struggling to find health insurance refer to this guide about life insurance for alcoholics.
How Much Life Insurance Does Someone Need?
People can use different life insurances for a variety of reasons. How much insurance can depend entirely on why you are getting it. Life insurance can be used to ensure the well-being of relatives, covering final expenses and taking care of outstanding debt.
Nobody wants to be unprepared when the time comes, so refer to our blog for all your needs regarding life insurance.
