Many people say that choosing the right life insurance plan can be intimidating and exhausting, especially since so many plans are on the market today. If you know what to look for in your life insurance plan, it becomes much easier to narrow down your choices and understand which plan is best. This article outlines the key tips in selecting a life insurance plan.
When considering life insurance, be sure to look outside what your employer provides. While this may be easier and you may assume they are providing what is best for you, it is not always the case. Make sure that they rates and coverage are competitive or better than other offers that you could go with.
Make sure you understand all the exclusions, inclusions, and terms involved in your contract before signing on the dotted line. Items like non-payment for pre-existing diseases, no coverage if you were doing an activity considered dangerous and other exclusions are very common. Read the fine print and understand fully what you are paying for.
Prior to looking for life insurance on your own, check with your employer to see if there is available coverage through them. In many cases, employers can negotiate a rate for their employees and their family members. This can save you a lot of money and give you a great policy as well.
If you have a life insurance policy that is well founded, meaning you have a growing balance, you may be able to borrow against it to get the money that you need for a down payment on a house. If you do not want to borrow against it, you could even cash it out and start over on it again.
You need to find out if there is any way to defer a payment on your life insurance policy if you find yourself in a financial bind. There are some insurance companies who are willing to work with their customers and may give you an extension on the due date for your premiums. You will need to talk to your agent to find out.
You may need to amend your life insurance policy if you have changed your occupation. The insurance policies are meant to help your family when you pass away. They take into account how much money you are making annually but if you do not report a change, it may be based off of your old income. If you are making $30,000 more a year that could make a big difference in the amount of money that your family gets.
Never lie on your life insurance applications. Trying to hide smoking or other negative conditions or circumstances could cause your claim to be denied if something happens to you, because insurers do investigate if claims are suspicious. Your dependents could lose out on the money they need to cover expenses if you are not up-front with the insurance company.
Buy your life insurance policy from a financially stable company, if you want to save money and be sure you’ve made a sound decision. The insurance company you use should be rated A or above from an independent agency which specializes in this area.
How do you determine how much life insurance coverage you might need? This is the hardest component in determining insurance coverage because everyone is different. The most common advice given is to multiply your annual salary by six to eight times and this figure should be the amount of coverage you need. However, this does not apply to everyone. In fact, you may not need this much coverage. Considerations to think about are the amount of debt left behind and other income resources the family may have at their disposal after your death.
If you are on a limited budget or if you have had medical issues that prevent you from getting regular life insurance, you can always subscribe to term life insurance. It is very easy to qualify for term life insurance and your monthly payments should be very small. You are still getting decent coverage with term life insurance.
Pay for your life insurance each year rather than every month. Many companies include an extra fee for individuals who make monthly payments. You will save money if you are able to pay the policy off in one lump sum every year. You will also have one less bill to worry about paying each month.
Look for “no-load”� life insurance policies. There are companies online that will allow you to purchase a policy directly through them instead of going through an agent or broker. Since agents and brokers get commission for their work, you will save yourself quite a bit of money by going this route.
You can use life insurance as a way to finance retirement. You just need to apply for life insurance that offers a return of your premium. If your policy expires while you are alive, you get everything back that you paid into it. You will not automatically receive the money. You can always extend the life of your policy. But if you wanted it back, you are entitled to it.
As the beginning of the article stated, choosing the right insurance plan can be a very difficult affair. However, if you have a better understanding of exactly what to look for in a life insurance plan, the process becomes much easier. Use this article’s tips and tricks, to help you select the best life insurance plan for you and your family.
