Buying life insurance is a major decision. If you die and you have chosen the wrong benefit plan, your loved ones may struggle financially. All the decisions you have to make about different types of coverage and benefit plans may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. This article will provide you with some useful information about life insurance.
Figure out how much you need with life insurance, and buy the right bundle. If you purchase unnecessary options or too little coverage, your beneficiaries’ quality of life may suffer in the wake of your passing. Your budget absolutely plays into your life insurance decision, so choose wisely.
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.
Try opting for a decreasing life insurance plan. This kind of plan is used to supplement a policy holder’s investments as if something caused them to die before reaching a certain amount with their investments. The more these grow, the less the monthly premiums are. That’s why these make a great option for those who are looking to save over the life of their plan.
Before buying a life insurance policy, make sure to ask the right questions. Find out if your term life insurance policy is convertible and for what length of time. Likewise, find out if it is renewable, and, if so, do you have to re-qualify? Can you cancel your life insurance policy? Does it include a rider for accidental death? Are there exclusions? Are your premiums variable? The more you know about a policy, the better prepared you’ll be to choose one that adequately provides for your dependents.
If meeting with a live broker, always watch to see if they’re recommending a policy to you after only one meeting. If so, you can bet that they’re only in this to make money and aren’t accurately addressing your particular needs. You should just walk away and choose another broker instead.
If you want to make sure your life insurance premiums are as low as possible, you should get life insurance through a financial advisor instead of a broker. The reason is because brokers get their pay by a commission from the policy you choose, and therefore, they may try to get you to purchase a higher life insurance policy than you need. Advisors are charged a flat fee, so the decision you make does not affect their pay. Therefore, they are more likely to have your best interests in mind.
You should avoid adding on riders to your life insurance policy unless you absolutely need them. One reason is you need to fully understand what they are before you even consider it, which most people do not. A second reason is this can be very expensive and is not guaranteed to add much value to your end policy.
Beware of universal life policies. The cash value of these insurances can decline over time, and what your family will be paid out will not reflect at all what you invested in this insurance. You should get a whole life policy, which guarantees your premiums and how much the insurance is going to pay out.
Choosing a life insurance policy is no laughing matter. There are a million and one ways to mess up. Now that you have read the advice contained in this article, you are much better equipped to make decisions that will help your loved ones prosper even if you should die unexpectedly.