Term Life Insurance

How Term Life Insurance Works

Term life insurance will pay out a specified lump sum to the person that you name as beneficiary in the event that you die before the policy expires. The payout is subject to a few exclusions, most often suicide or other self-inflicted conditions.

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

The biggest decision you’ll face is how much life coverage you need. The general rule of thumb is that,  you should provide at least enough to pay off your outstanding debts and cover your funeral expenses. The face value of your policy should cover any remainder on your mortgage and other debts, and provide a cushion to help your family get back on their feet financially after your death. If you have young children, you should also cover your expected annual salary multiplied by the number of years until the youngest is no longer financially dependent.

What Factors Are Considered in Assigning a Premium?

There are a number of factors that may affect how much you pay for your policy aside from the amount of the death benefit you choose. These include your age, your gender, the state of your health and any pre-existing conditions, and whether or not you smoke. Smokers can expect to pay higher premiums than those who don’t use tobacco products.

Why You Should Buy Life Insurance?

If you are the major breadwinner or a major contributor to family income, you should be insured. No one likes to imagine what will happen if they die, but it makes sound financial sense. Potentially, your life insurance benefit can mean the difference between your family keeping the home in which you live and losing it to debt. Or, it can provide for the future education of young children.

In addition to the death benefit, many Life Insurance policies now come with Living Benefits. These benefits allow you to access a portion of your death benefit to help pay the cost of Critical and Chronic illnesses like cancer, strokes, dementia, cardiovascular disease and several others.