|
Online insurance quote services |
Who needs life insurance?
If anyone is depending on your income, you need life insurance. That can
be a married couple with children, someone caring for an ailing parent, even couples who need two salaries to meet
monthly expenses.
Generally speaking, single people without children do not need life insurance. Insurance salespeople may tell you that by buying young, you're guaranteeing your future insurability. In other words, the longer you wait, the more likely you are to develop a "dread disease" that will make you uninsurable. Jessie, from South Dakota, a single adult with no family members, thinks her old policy was completely unnecessary: "I have plenty through my job, but wasted premiums for years on a load of term insurance. My beneficiary was a fiancé with whom I broke up! Now I don't waste money on an extra policy but count on savings to provide funeral and other expenses."
| Fully half of all people who own a whole life policy cancel it in the first 10 years. |
What expenses do I need to consider?
Start by totting up your family's short-term needs, long-term
needs, and living expenses. Short-term needs include medical, hospital, and funeral expenses; fees for attorneys
and personal representatives; plus any outstanding debts, taxes, and loans. Long-term needs may include your
mortgage balance and college tuition for your children. "Living expenses" refers to the amount of money your
survivors need to maintain their standard of living for one year.
| The theory behind term is that your need for life insurance gradually decreases as you get older. |
The complexity of this task can lead to buyer paralysis. Several online insurance quote services have useful calculators, like InsWeb's Life Insurance Needs Analyzer, that can give you a ballpark figure.
What type of policy do I need?
There are two basic types of insurance, term and cash-value. Term
insurance covers you for a period of from one year to 30 years. It only pays out if you die within that term. The
theory behind term is that your need for life insurance gradually decreases as you get older. By the time you
retire, if you've planned properly, you should have a secure, fixed income and won't need life insurance
anymore.
| If anyone is depending on your income, you need life insurance. |
Barbara, from Washington, wishes her agent had steered her toward a cash-value policy instead of term. "Now that I'm in my 40s, the cost keeps going up, plus there is no benefit to term, where whole life is a percent of the savings of the whole life insurance," she says.
Remember, the benefit of term coverage is that it is pure protection, and thus less expensive. Some people choose to invest the difference in premiums in other investments that can meet their goals.
If you can't decide, consider a term policy that allows you to convert to a cash-value policy later, or a policy with elements of both.
How much can I afford?
Remember that the main goal of life insurance is to provide protection for
your family. So, buy a policy that you won't be tempted to cancel in a pinch. Term insurance is simple, reliable,
and inexpensive, and is a great place to start. And thanks to competition in the insurance marketplace, it's
cheaper to buy than ever before. According to InsWeb.com, a healthy, 35-year-old, nonsmoking woman can buy $100,000
worth of term insurance for around $10 a month—or the price of three mocha lattes.
Cash-value policies have much higher premiums initially. There are good reasons for buying a cash-value policy, but make sure you've provided enough coverage for your family first and that you can afford the premiums. Fully half of all people who own a whole life policy cancel it in the first 10 years.
Should I cancel my cash-value policy and buy a term policy?
Canceling your policy before you have
another puts your family at risk of potential financial ruin and may be very costly. In addition, you may forfeit
some or all of the cash value accrued in the policy. Before you make any changes to either a cash-value or a term
policy, get sound, expert advice from both an insurance agent and a financial planner.
Is it wise to buy online?
Online insurance quote services are a good place to begin your research.
They allow you to query several carriers at once and cut your legwork in half. Plus, you only get quotes from
companies who are willing to insure you and who offer life insurance products.
On InsWeb.com, you fill out a questionnaire concerning your health history, lifestyle, and age. InsWeb then distributes it to representatives of companies you choose. There's no charge and no obligation to buy. Online quote services also give you an idea of the company's attitude toward customer service—an agent who contacts you in one day is probably more service-oriented than one who takes a week.
When should I use an agent?
Buying a policy through an agent has many advantages. Many people
prefer to do business over a desk with someone they know, even if it costs a little more. Your insurance agent
already will know a lot about your life. He or she can help you get the right amount of life insurance, explain
your options, and go over the fine print of your policy. As your insurance needs change—you have another child
or remarry, for example—your agent can update your policy and schedule reviews every three years to five
years.
On the other hand, many insurance agents are "captive" salespeople who only sell products from one company. Just be aware that some agents receive larger commissions from selling cash-value policies and may tend to steer you in that direction, whether that's best for you or not. Ask if your credit union has an agent it would recommend.
|
|
Home & Family Finance® Resource Center
Copyright © 2008 - Credit Union National Association, Inc.