Firstly, you and an insurance company make a deal when you buy life insurance. In exchange for your regular payments, called premiums, the insurance company agrees to pay your beneficiaries a sum of money, called the death benefit, when you die.
Should you buy one?
Secondly, whether you should buy life insurance or not depends on your specific situation. Here are some things you should think about:
- Do you pay for people who depend on you? If so, life insurance can help them be safe financially if you die.
- Do you owe money for things like a house or school? Life insurance can help pay off these debts so that your family won’t have to worry about them after you die.
- Do you want to leave your children or grandchildren with something? You can do this with the help of life insurance.
Types of Life Insurance
Thirdly, there are two main types of life insurance to choose from if you decide you need it: term life insurance and permanent life insurance.
- Term life insurance protects you for a certain number of years, like 20 or 30. If you die during the policy’s term, the death benefit will go to the people you choose. If you live longer than the policy’s term, the policy will end and you won’t get anything. Most of the time, term life insurance is the least expensive type of life insurance.
- Permanent life insurance covers you for your whole life, as long as you pay the premiums. There is also a cash value part to permanent life insurance that grows over time. You can borrow against or take out the cash value, but any money you don’t pay back will reduce your death benefit. Permanent life insurance costs more than term life insurance, but it can cover your family for life and give them financial security.
Other things to consider
Getting quotes from different insurance companies is important if you want to buy life insurance. You can also use a life insurance calculator to get an idea of how much coverage you need and how much the premiums will be.
Here are a few more things to think about when getting life insurance:
- On the insurance application, be honest about your health and how you live your life. This will help the insurance company figure out how much of a risk you really are and set your rates accordingly.
- Think about listing more than one beneficiary on your policy. This gives you the freedom to choose who gets the death benefit.
- Keep the information about your policy, like your beneficiaries and how to reach you, up to date.
- You should look over your policy often to make sure it still meets your needs.
Lastly, life insurance is a good way to protect your loved ones and leave something behind for them. If you want to buy life insurance, make sure to do your research and compare quotes from different insurance companies.