Life insurance is something that all people will eventually need but most people put off buying. The fact is that most people just do not like to think about death. They are not wrong for having this mentality. However, a person should be realistic about their time here on Earth. Some people are wise and purchase life insurance at an early age.
A lot of people tend to get life insurance when they start to get older and realize they won’t be around forever. Regardless of when a person decides to buy life insurance, this information will help first time buyers to understand this process. It will also provide you with information about why life insurance is a great form of protection for your family and you.
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Buy Life Insurance when You’re Young
Most people are under the assumption that life insurance policies are for older people. However, that is not true. Many young people pass away unexpectedly. As a matter of fact, death statistics have reported more deaths among young people between the ages of 6 to 25. This rise in death for young people is the result of many different factors. Medical conditions, unexpected illnesses and accidents account for the majority of death related incidents for young people.
Children and teens are typically included in their parent’s life insurance policies. Very few insurance companies will provide coverage for minors. In some cases, they will make exceptions. Since insurance companies will only provide coverage for adults, you should start to get life insurance after you turn 18.
Getting life insurance when you’re young is beneficial for many reasons. The rates are low because young people tend to live longer, even though more of them are now dying at an early age. Young people can build up a large amount of savings from their plans and they will also have a larger payout for their beneficiaries if they pass away in the later years of their life, especially when using a global life insurance policy. The bottom line is that young people have more of an advantage with getting life insurance early in life.
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Understand the Different Types of Life Insurance Options
There are two basic types of life insurance policies. One is called term life coverage. This type of plan is designed to provide protection for a number of years before the plan expires. Term life plans can last between a year up to 30. Once a term plan has expired a policy holder will need to renew coverage.
Term life insurance is generally cheaper because it only covers the cost of the death benefit for the policy holder in case of their demise. This type of policy is best suited for people who want to just purchase life insurance without the extra financial benefits. Term life is also suited for individuals that do not have a lot of money to pay for high cost term coverage.
Permanent life insurance lasts for the entire span of a policy holder’s life. The payout is higher for this type of coverage. However, policy holders will be able to receive a cash benefit from the money they use to make payments. Permanent life insurance can be used to build up cash value that can then be used as a source of funding.
These are the basic policy types and you should figure out which type will be best suited for your personal situation. Keep in mind that young and middle-aged adults can benefit greatly from permanent life insurance policies over the long run.
Related: 5 Overlooked Times to Consider Life
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More Information about Different Types of Life Insurance Policies
There are different types of life insurance policies that fall under the basic term and permanent life categories. They are listed in an easy to read format below.
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Increasing and Decreasing Term Life Insurance Coverage
This type of coverage is used on a temporary basis. The benefit decreases over time. This type of life insurance policy is usually tied into mortgages on homes or with other types of long term financial payouts that eventually will terminate. Some policies that fall under this umbrella also increase. This usually is available for policy holders that need more coverage as they grow older.
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Whole Life Insurance Coverage
Whole life insurance coverage is a permanent form of protection. This type of policy has a locked in premium rate that does not change. This is a great benefit for young people because the policy will not get more expensive as they age. Remember that life insurance rates go up in dues as people age and because of inflation. You can also make cash withdrawals with this type of policy as well.
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Universal Life Insurance
Universal life insurance is similar to whole life. However, policy holders can figure out how much of their payments will go toward their death benefit and toward their cash value. This type of policy is also flexible when it comes to withdrawing money from the policy.
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Variable Life Insurance
Variable life insurance is for people who like to invest. This policy offers a cash value and a death benefit and people can designate money toward investments. Variable life insurance is a more complex type of policy and should be used for savvy people who understand investing strategies.
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Survivorship Life Insurance
This type of insurance policy is designed to cover more than one person at a time. This type of policy can be set up in different ways. When one of the people on the plan dies first, the other members on the plan (plus their beneficiaries) will receive a benefit. This type of coverage can be set up with cash value benefits and other types of policy features. This type of benefit can be less expensive than an individual policy. They are good policy type for married couples or for family members who are living together.
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Final Expense Coverage
Finale expense life insurance is set up to cover the cost associated with burials. This type of policy is only used for that reason. It does not pay out a death benefit or has cash value. Some companies can include this type of protection on other types of life insurance policies since it is not a common type.
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No Medical Exam Life Insurance
This type of coverage does not require a medical examination. However, it is extremely expensive. Insurance companies already know that if a person is taking this type of coverage, chances are they already have a major medical problem, or they are engaging in some high risk behavior.
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Purchasing Life Insurance when oYu Have a Critical Illness
Okay, let’s be honest. Many people die because of some type of negative health condition. Conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer are classified as critical illnesses. Keep in mind that when a person has one of these conditions and they are nearing their deathbed, an insurance company usually will not insure them. However, critical illness life insurance policies are available for this reason.
These policies are high. They are extremely high because an insurance company already understands that they will have a high benefit payout risk. This type of life insurance policy is best suited for people who have sick children or family members and they are also useful for any person that has been diagnosed with a serious medical condition. You can talk with your insurance provider to find out more information about this type of protection.
Related: How Small Business Insurance Can Save You From Disaster
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Think about Your Beneficiaries
Think about your beneficiaries! I mean, you should really think about who you really want to leave money behind to in the event of your death. I will say this again. Think really hard about who you really want to benefit financially from your death. The reason why this is so important is because a lot of problems, headaches and confusion comes from people who are not clear about who receives money once they pass away. This is arguably the most important aspect of getting life insurance.
Beneficiaries are important because they will receive the money you paid into your policy. If you have a million-dollar policy and only have a wife, then leave the money to her. You can also leave a couple of dollars to your mom, siblings, extended relatives, best friend or even people you don’t like. The point is that you will have to name the beneficiaries on your policy and you should make sure that they know they will be the recipients in case you die.
You should quietly let people know that they will be your beneficiary, but you should not disclose how much money they will get if you do pass away. The last thing you want is a person sitting around waiting for you to die. On the other hand, if you don’t let people know that they are your beneficiary; you can create a nightmare in terms of how your benefits are to be doled out. This happens more than you would think because policy holders will not make it clear as to who their beneficiaries are.
If you constantly change your beneficiaries (which is your right to do so) then make sure you constantly update the information. Make sure that your beneficiaries are aware of your policy changes. It can be very upsetting for a person to realize that they have been kicked off a policy and not know about it. In short, make sure you know who your beneficiaries are and makes sure they know it too.
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Make Sure You get Enough Coverage for Your Family
Make sure you purchase enough life insurance to help out your family. Add up all of your current expenses and then base your coverage amount on that figure. You will need to have enough money on hand to cover your family for a few years. Keep in mind that many families have two income earners. So, your benefit will probably be used as a lump sum payment that will increase your family’s financial situation right away. Ultimately, make sure that your benefit is large enough to cover your family’s immediate and basic expenses for at least 2 years.
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Get Your Coverage from a Reputable Insurance Company
Make sure that you are purchasing life insurance from a reputable company. This is important because a small-time insurance company might not be around for a very long time if it does not have enough clients, not provide global life insurance. Keep in mind that smaller companies cannot offer large policies in terms of benefits. They might not have enough capital to do so. So, you should opt for established life insurance organizations that can pay out millions if a policy has been set up for this type of coverage. This is important because well- established life insurance companies will be able to fund policy holders for larger benefit amounts.
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Use Professional Assistance to Help Set up a Policy
Insurance agents and financial advisors are two primary individuals who can help you to set up a life insurance policy. They can talk in detail about the coverage you will need and about your benefits from the policies that you hold. Professional assistance helps to make getting insurance easy and it also helps a person to get the best policy for their personal situation.
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Utilize the Free Look Feature that is Offered by Many Life Insurance Companies
Many life insurance companies have a free look feature that allows policy holders to thoroughly evaluate their policies. This free look feature is important because it allows policy holders to make changes to their coverage if they need to make some things different. This is a great way for policy holders to figure out if they have enough coverage or if their beneficiaries are really the people they want to pay once they die.
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Use Your Life Insurance Policy as a Part of your Financial Strategy
Life insurance policies are not generally viewed as a part of a person’s finances. However, they should be categorized in this way. Having a life insurance policy can help a person to become more financially stable while they are alive. People can even use the death benefit as a means to increase their family’s financial wealth in the future, once they pass away.
Life insurance policies with cash benefits can also be used as a financial source. Just make sure you are using your life insurance policy in a way that will benefit your finances while you’re alive or that will benefit your family once you move on. A good life insurance policy will help to provide financial stability in this life and for the people you care about the most.
