Life insurance products have come a long way over the years. They have developed into sophisticated instruments that provide a variety of ways for families to protect themselves. Life insurance comes with many different options that can help you tailor a policy to fit your exact needs and desires.
Life insurance is set up to provide families with financial security upon the death of a loved one. To determine the type of policy and financial amount needed for your family, consider your mortgages, debts and all final expenses, as well as living allowances, college education expenses, etc.
To save some money consider switching to annual life insurance premiums instead of monthly life insurance premiums. Some life insurance providers will charge you extra fees if you pay for your premiums monthly, so, if possible, pay your annual premiums in one lump sum at the beginning of each year.
Drop bad habits and get into good shape prior to opening a life insurance policy. If you are in good physical health, you are likely to get a better rate from your provider. Smoking, high cholesterol, blood pressure, as well as depression, can drive up your rates more than you would think.
If you have a family that depends on the income that you provide, you should purchase life insurance. This will protect your loved ones by providing some income in the event that you pass away unexpectedly. Life insurance is for those that survive you. So if you care about your family, purchase life insurance for yourself.
Before shopping for life insurance, put together a budget to project the amount of financial coverage you might need. Include your mortgage payoff, college costs for the kids, money to pay any other large debt obligations, funds to cover funeral and medical expenses and enough money to supplement your remaining spouse’s retirement funds.
If you are working with an advisor to get life insurance, and this person is not fitting your needs, it is important to know that you are able to look for another one. You want to make sure you are working with an experienced, knowledgeable advisor who is looking out for your best interests.
Before purchasing life insurance, you must understand that insurance is for protection purposes only, which does not include investing. Term insurance gives you protection only, with no savings. Whole life and universal policies offer savings, but they are a lot more expensive and you would be better off using the cost savings to invest in something else.
Most life insurance companies require you to take a medical exam before they give you coverage. They look at blood pressure, cholesterol levels, an EKG of your heart rate activity, and many other indicators that reveal the presence of any type of disease or risk factors. You can perform better on the test, even put yourself into a higher rate class, by eating low-fat foods for the two days before your test. Drink extra water to maintain hydration, and avoid alcohol for three to four days ahead of the test. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep for the week leading up to the exam.
Get yourself a policy that has a “conversion to permanent” clause. This refers to the fact that at any time, the policy holder can switch their term insurance into permanent insurance without further medical exams. While this may not save money at first, it will eventually save money if you start suffering from poor from health problems before the policy runs out.
If you intend on getting life insurance in the future, start planning for it, now. Take steps to improve your health, such as, quitting smoking. You can begin a fitness routine and try to reach your optimal weight. Have all the recommended health screening tests for someone of your age and gender. Work on getting your cholesterol and blood pressure to acceptable levels. Not only will you look and feel better, you’ll save a bundle on your life insurance policy.
Do your own research before you decide on the kind of life insurance policy you are going to purchase. You must make sure that the policy you are interested in really fits your budget and overall needs. You also want to make sure that you understand the contract.
You have a lot of options when it comes to the type of life insurance you will purchase. Depending on your age, your level of coverage needed and your budget, you will need to have your insurance agent or representative explain these to you in detail. Make sure to ask lots of questions, don’t just take their word for it.
Even if you are done raising your children, you should still think about life insurance. A good life insurance can help your spouse for instance. If you are not married, life insurance can cover your credit card debt or your unpaid mortgage, instead of your children or spouse inheriting this debt.
You should definitely customize your life insurance policy. Meet with your insurance agent and talk about the best plan possible. Even with a good plan, all your needs might be met. You can easily add riders to a policy to create new conditions under which your insurance will or will not pay out.
Get the best rates in life insurance by being healthy. If you exercise, eat right, don’t smoke, drink or do drugs,don’t participate in dangerous activities and get a clean bill of health from your doctor, you are likely to live a very long time. That makes you a good risk and earns you lower life insurance rates.
Even though life insurance may not seem like a critical item, we never know what the future holds for us and it’s easier to sleep at night knowing that a backup plan is in place should something happen to the family breadwinner. Take a look at different life insurance policies — there is sure to be one that fits your needs and budget.
