For Individuals
For Individuals

Many people do fully understand what life insurance is and how it works. This is partly because life insurance is somewhat complex, and partly because it is a very flexible type of insurance that offers many opportunities for creating security for you and for your family.

The two basic types of life insurance are:

  • Term life insurance: A term life policy is in force for a specific time and has a face value (coverage amount) that you specify when you buy the policy. In the event that you die within the specified term, the insurance company pays the face value of the policy as a death benefit to your beneficiaries.
  • Permanent life insurance: A permanent life insurance policy (which includes whole life, universal life and variable life insurance) is in force for your lifetime as long as you continue to make your premium payments. Like term life insurance, permanent life insurance pays a death benefit. But it also has an accumulating cash value.

Life Insurance Statistics

  • 40% of American adults have no life insurance
  • Over 50% of U.S. households lack adequate life insurance coverage
  • About 40% of people surveyed say they would have immediate financial trouble if the primary wage earner in their household died

Why Buy Life Insurance?

As with all insurance, life insurance plans are about preparing for the unexpected. We don’t plan to have a heart attack or meet an untimely end. We may fret about the unforeseen, but there are few ways to prepare for it. Life insurance provides a way to be prepared and get peace of mind.

The main reason to buy life insurance is for financial protection for your family and dependents. If you are the sole income earner or the major provider in your family, then life insurance definitely makes sense. If you should die unexpectedly, your policy will help your loved ones pay your final expenses and potentially receive ongoing support. The amount they receive will depend upon the size of policy you buy.

Do You Need Life Insurance When You Are Young?

Most people don’t think about buying life insurance when they are young, healthy and single. However, if something should happen to you unexpectedly, a life insurance policy could pay for your student loans or other large outstanding debts, as well as your funeral expenses. These are never fun things to think about, but evaluating risks is a first step to preparedness.

Another good reason to consider buying life insurance at a younger age is to lock in rates. The affordability of life insurance is based largely on your age and risk factors, and life insurance for adults becomes increasingly expensive. While you are young and healthy, you will pay lower premiums. With short term insurance you can choose a lock-in term, such as 15 or 20 years at a preferred rate.

It is important to know that many term policies can be converted into permanent policies later on, without having to re-qualify. If you develop a severe or chronic condition at any point, your life insurance is already secured. Essentially you can insure your insurability.

Life Insurance Over 30

Most people begin seriously thinking about buying a life insurance policy at about the time they start a family. If you are like many people, the light bulb may come on at about the age of 30, when you realize that you are mortal, and that you have real financial responsibilities.

An important consideration for anyone who wants to purchase life insurance is that it will never be cheaper than it is today. It’s not too late at the age of 30, 40 or 50 or even later to buy life insurance that will protect your dependents from financial hardship or provide for you in retirement. But your costs will go up the longer you wait. If you do buy life insurance now, you can lock in a life insurance premium at a more affordable rate than it will be a few years down the road.