Things You Should Know Before Purchasing Life Insurance

By William Patricks

If you are considering purchasing life insurance, then there are some important factors that you should be aware of before you make your decision. You should know what type of policy you want, what the terms of the policy are, and several other things before you purchase your policy. Here we will discuss the two most popular types of life insurance policies, and the differences between the two.

A term policy provides a financial death benefit for a limited, specified period of time. If death occurs within the specified time limit, the beneficiary will receive the face amount of the policy. This is the least expensive life insurance policy to purchase and is available in a variety of forms. There can be a large variance in the premiums charged for a term policy, so it worthwhile to take the time to shop for term life insurance rates and confirm them with written life insurance quotes for the policies you are considering.

A whole life policy is different than a term policy in that it provides life insurance throughout a lifetime. It is also often referred to as a "permanent" life insurance policy. Premiums may be paid on this type of policy over a specific period of time (25 or 30 years) or they may be due until such times as the insured turns 65 years of age. The limited years of premium payments make this type of policy appealing to many people.

An alternative to both whole life policies and term life policies is an ordinary life insurance policy. In and ordinary policy there is no limit to the amount of payments you make, they continue monthly until the policy is collected. Ordinary life insurance policies are less expensive than whole life policies because you will probably make more payments over the course of the ordinary life policy.

If you are still undecided about which type of policy is right for you, there is another benefit to choosing the whole life insurance policy. You can withdraw money from your whole life policy, or the policy can be used as collateral for a loan. If you withdraw money from the policy, and the policy is collected before the loan is paid back, then the outstanding loan amount would be dedcuted from the amount of the policy.

There are many factors to consider when purchasing a life insurance policy. You need to understand what type of policy you are interested in, how much the monthly premiums are for the different types of policies, if there are any conditions that would limit or prevent payment of the policy, and several other factors that should be researched before a decision is made. If you have a question you should talk to an insurance broker or insurance agent, both will typicall offer advice free of charge, with the hopes that you will then purchase your life insurance policy through them. The information they provide can be very helpful in deciding which life insurance policy is right for you. - 33372

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