Taking a step into the unknown land of life insurance for the very first time might feel a tad daunting, but by keeping the helpful tips listed below in mind, you will soon find yourself being smarter with researching and purchasing the best life insurance policy for you and your family.
If you are considering buying life insurance, be sure to check with your employer before going to your insurance agent. Your employer may be able to give you a better rate on life insurance due to having made a deal with the life insurance company to insure a large number of people. You may be able to get life insurance for yourself and your family members at very attractive rates.
A person should not wait until they are sick to consider life insurance. Many preexisting conditions can make you ineligible for a life insurance policy. If you are eligible, premiums will likely be higher than they would be for a healthy individual. Taking out a policy while you’re healthy is the best way to protect yourself, and your family.
If you have never had life insurance before, it is highly recommended that you consult with a financial representative prior to deciding on a policy. Although you may feel that you can adequately determine your dependents’ needs in the event of your death, a financial representative has far more experience and will generally be able to advise you on other variables you have not thought of. You might actually need significantly more coverage than you assumed.
If you’re a smoker who was addicted and smoking cigarettes at the time of your life insurance policy, you can actually quit smoking and save money. Most companies will let you reapply for a policy as a non-smoker after a certain amount of time has passed. So there’s some incentive in it if you can quit.
Understand the terms of your life insurance policy before purchasing, and make sure you are getting the coverage you need. A financial planner can help with this, but you can also educate yourself easily. Understanding the terminology used helps you make better life insurance choices and ensures your policy provides the coverage you are expecting.
For the most life insurance coverage at the lowest price, choose a term policy instead of whole life insurance. The high costs of whole life are due to the investment aspect and the fact that these polices result in a cash value, but it really is better to keep your investments separate from your insurance.
If you have a whole-life insurance policy and have had it for a long while, whatever you do, don’t get rid of it or replace it with another one. Hold on to the old policy because you don’t want to lose the investment that you have already made into past premiums. The better option is to keep the old policy without making any changes and purchase a new whole-life policy instead.
Be careful when considering purchasing extra riders to a new policy or an existing one. An adviser may be pushing you to purchase extra riders just for the benefit of compensation. Until you fully understand what a rider can do for you, don’t purchase them. Instead, ask for a second opinion from another expert.
To save money on your life insurance policy, research quotes online to find the best deal. There are several different websites, such as lifeinsure.com or accuquote.com, that can quickly give you pricing information. Of course, these results will be estimates, but they will give you a good idea of approximate costs.
Once you have purchased a life insurance policy, the next step is to tell the people that will benefit from the policy. Give them all the information related to the policy with instruction on what they need to do if something should happen to you. Tell them the type of insurance you have, where to find the insurance documents and the name and phone number of your insurance representative.
Before you begin searching for life insurance, figure out just what it is you need. Not being aware of your needs can lead to buying a policy that is not adequate or purchasing a policy that is extravagant. You might lose out on any rates you could have gotten.
Do not be afraid to make changes to your life insurance. As you get older, what you need from your policy will change. Once your children have left the house and you are financially secure for your retirement, you may even make the decision to drop your policy all together.
So, after reading and applying the helpful tips listed above, you should feel a bit more at ease in the land of life insurance. You have the tools – it’s time to use them. You should feel more confident and ready to start looking for the perfect policy for you and your loved ones.
