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TERM LIFE INSURANCE QUOTES: Different Terms For Different Needs
All term life insurance policies cover you for a specific amount of
time - the term. The term that's right for you depends on how old your children are, how many years before you retire, and other factors. Many people like to know they're insured until
they're ready to retire, usually at age 65. Many just want to have insurance until their youngest child graduates from college, and so they make sure their life insurance coverage includes
money to pay for all of the college tuition.
Most experts agree that you should carry insurance at least until
your youngest child is 18. So if your child is 3 now, you would want to carry your insurance for at least 15 years. But that doesn't mean you have to lock into a 15-year term - you could
instead buy an annual renewable policy and renew it for 14 years in a row. You should compare the total 15-year cost of the annual renewable policy and the 15-year term policy, making
adjustments for the time and value of money, to determine what the best value is for you.
Here's an overview of the different types of term policies
available and, most importantly, a look at what happens when the term is over.
Annual renewable term insurance
Renewable term insurance
Level premium term insurance
Decreasing term insurance
Convertible term insurance
Annual renewable term insurance. With this type of term life insurance, your policy is automatically renewable each year up to a specific age limit, often 65, but sometimes older. Since the chances of your dying increase statistically the older you get, your premiums go up each year as you renew. However, if you buy your policy when you are young and unlikely to die, you can obtain substantial coverage for an inexpensive premium.
Renewable term insurance. With renewable term life insurance, the insurance company automatically allows you to renew your coverage after the term of the policy is over (generally 5 to 20 years), even if your health has deteriorated. This is the same way annual renewable works, but for a longer period of time. Since a lot can happen to your health in 5 or 20 years, renew ability can be a valuable feature. But since it involves a greater financial risk for the insurance company, renewable term coverage generally costs a bit more than annual renewable policies.
The conditions associated with renewable term may differ from
company to company. For example, though you are guaranteed the right to renew at the end of your term, you may or may not be able to renew for the same amount of coverage or for the same
term. Moreover, your premiums will almost definitely go up upon renewal.
Level premium term insurance. Level premium term guarantees your premium will stay the same each year for the term of your policy, generally 5 to 20 years. Insurance companies keep your premiums the same by charging you an average of the premiums they would ordinarily charge you with an annual renewable policy. As a result, you will probably pay more in the early years and less in the later years than you would if you had an annual renewable policy. You will probably also encounter a big increase in premiums at the end of your term when you apply for a new insurance policy.
The big advantage of level term is that your premiums stay the same
throughout your policy, even as you get older. However, if for some reason you change policies in the early years - when your level term policy is most expensive - you will end up paying more
than you need to for coverage.
Decreasing term insurance. With decreasing term, your cash benefits decrease each year while your premiums remain level for the duration of the term. Decreasing term is typically used to cover an item whose costs decrease over time, such as your home's mortgage. It isn't a wise choice for your general life insurance needs which, due to the effects of inflation, tend to increase over time.
Convertible term insurance. Convertible term enables you to convert your term insurance into any of the other types of insurance policies offered by the issuing insurance company. Convertibility can be an advantage if your insurance needs change over time, as they are likely to do. And, since it involves greater risk for the insurance company, it generally costs more than annual renewable term.
TERM LIFE INSURANCE QUOTES: What Happens When The Term Is Over?
It all depends on the type of term insurance you have. With
renewable term, you are guaranteed the right to take out another term policy without the formality of a new application or medical examination. With standard term, your insurance coverage
ceases, and you have to apply again, including taking a medical examination. With convertible term, you reserve the right to convert your term policy to another type of policy like Whole Life
or Universal Life - or in some cases, another term policy - at any time during the term of your policy. You should, however, expect an increase in your premiums with your new policy.
Accidental Death Insurance. A special limited type of
term insurance. Accidental death term pays out a cash benefit if you die in an accident. Since the sudden loss of a loved one can impose extreme hardship on a family, this coverage can be
thought of as "catastrophic protection." It can also be thought of as "inexpensive term" since it only pays benefits for death resulting from accidents and, therefore,
often costs less than other types of term insurance.
The best way to protect your family is with a life insurance policy
that pays benefits if you die from any cause. But if you don't feel you can afford regular term insurance, you should at least give your family the protection of a good, inexpensive
Accidental Death policy.
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