Searching The Finacial Market For A Free Life Insurance Quote

Are you in the market for a whole life insurance policy? If so, you can take advantage of accessing online a free life insurance quote. Here is some information which can help you find the best insurance for you and your family.

A whole life insurance policy covers you for life, not just for a specific period of time as in the case of term life insurance. While the death benefit and premium will remain the same, whole life insurance builds cash value. Not only is the cash value tax-deferred until you withdraw it, but you can borrow against it. In addition, your premiums are invested in stocks and bonds which generate additional cash value. You also have the right to borrow against the cash which has accumulated for whatever reason you choose. Perhaps you need to make a large purchase, or cover unexpected expenses; if so, whole life insurance will suit your every need.

When taking a look at the free life insurance quote for a whole life insurance policy, you will notice the premiums may seem a bit higher than you would normally pay. However, they will be smaller than the premiums you would eventually pay if you were to renew a term life insurance policy. Whole life is suitable for long-term expenses, such as your surviving spouse's needs; which can include income; paying for your burial; or other expenses which may not have been anticipated. After all, good protection for your family and your assets is essential.

As you know, insurance rates and coverage are different from state to state, and therefore it will be necessary for you to obtain a free life insurance quote by researching the various companies online, or calling your insurance representatives directly. While there are other less permanent types of insurance available, the benefits of a whole life insurance policy are invaluable to you and your family. You are guaranteed a minimum rate of return on the cash value. You also have more flexibility with your policy in terms of increasing your death benefit without raising your premiums. You can even purchase the entire policy outright, depending upon whether or not you have a large cash sum on hand.

Accessing a free life insurance quote can be an important step in deciding which insurance company will afford you the best whole life insurance policy available. Remember, your premium will remain constant during the time you are covered unless you choose otherwise. In addition, unless you make a change to your policy, you have lifelong coverage with no future medical exams. Whole life insurance is not only a wise choice, but provides relief in knowing you have provided for your family in any eventuality.

Life Insurance - What Does This Mean To You?

For some it means security, knowing that their family or business is safe should they unexpectedly pass away. For others it conjures up images of pushy salesmen and confusion about what they are buying.

By learning about the different life insurance policies available you can make an informed decision that will give you peace of mind and satisfaction with your responsible decision.

There are three main types of policies. Here is a brief explanation of what they mean:

Whole Life

Whole life insurance is a permanent insurance. This means that the policy stays in effect for your ‘whole life’ as long as premiums (payments) are up to date.

The cost of whole life insurance premiums will usually be more than the cost of an equivalent amount of term insurance because the cost is averaged. While the cost of term insurance goes up with each renewal, whole life insurance never needs renewing. Instead of paying smaller premiums when you’re young and high premiums as you age, whole life premiums stay the same.

In some policies a savings option can be added which can be used to borrow against.

Universal Life

Universal life insurance is another form of permanent insurance. Like whole life the policy is in effect until you die. You never need to renew the policy (regardless of health) and the premiums will never go up.

Universal life also incorporates other financial services including a savings plan that can be made in addition to the policy. Otherwise the policy can be surrendered in exchange for the savings that have accumulated. Policy owners can often choose from many options including adding another person to the policy, managing their own investments or using the savings to cover the costs of premiums.

Universal life insurance is the most expensive option because of the amount of flexibility and options.

Term

Term insurance is the least expensive life insurance policy option. Term insurance is selected for a certain period of time (term) such as; 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or 20 years.

Term insurance is a good choice for young families with dependants and high debts (such as a mortgage) that they will be no longer be responsible for in 15 to 20 years when the policy ends. Term insurance has no cash value – it cannot be borrowed against or cashed in. If the policy ends and the individual wants to renew the policy the cost of premiums will be higher.

Using term insurance to cover the basic financial requirements of an individual while also instituting a separate savings plan may reduce the need for insurance later in life.

Cheap Term Life Insurance

Cheap term life insurance is not an oxymoron. In the past 5-10 years term life insurance rates have dropped dramatically. Why is this?

It is well documented that the price transparency that the Internet brings in allowing consumers to view competing companies prices has dramatically decreased the cost of term life insurance rates over the past 10 years. According to Kerry Hannon in the July 5, 1999 issue of Business Week, “What costs less than half what it did two years ago? Term life insurance. Term-insurance buyers have been enjoying some of the lowest rates in history thanks to increased competition and the ability to buy policies over the Internet or the phone without going through an agent.”

Even as far back as 1999 the affects of the price transparency of the Internet on the life insurance company’s rate was clearly evident. What was once a matter of thumbing through the yellow pages and listening to an agent’s spiel over a dusty paper proposal is now a matter of a few mouse clicks away and instant rates from multiple insurance companies can be compared side by side online.

If an insurance company cannot compete on price alone or differentiate its product or company from the commoditized term life insurance arena then they do not stand a chance in this hyper competitive and highly transparent insurance environment. There are many top notch insurance companies with stellar AM Best ratings (a rating used to measure the financial strength of insurance companies) and affordable term life insurance product offerings. Be a discriminating and smart consumer and be sure and do your research. Take advantage of the price transparency of the Internet to find cheap term life insurance!

Term Insurance: Can You Afford Not to Have It?

Losing a family member can create both emotional and financial hardship on the entire family - whereas having a secure life insurance plan can help mitigate the costs involved. This is a benefit with both short and long-term plans. As you plan for your future, learning about the value and extensive benefits of your life insurance policies can help you maximize your investment.

Term life insurance can help your family with any costs in the event that you pass away, and can help minimize the risks involved with financial hardship on loved ones. When a key family member passes, their employment benefits cease to exist. Although some employers extend special insurance coverage to the employee's immediate family, this may not be enough to cover long-term needs and expenses.

Term insurance is commonly known as a ‘pure' form of life insurance because it only covers the insured for a specific period of time. The insurance policies will expire after a certain date, making sure that the policy holder's family and immediate beneficiaries are covered completely. It can help to protect a family's financial standing, or make money immediately available for children's college education or living expenses.

Determining Term Insurance Coverage

If you invest in a term insurance plan, you'll need to consider the length and type of the policy you want to invest in. The insurance policy is a legal document, and each type of insurance will vary by state or country. Term insurance is an affordable way to cover any potential risks in your future years; if you have numerous dependents, you really cannot afford not to have it. The best coverage for your family will depend on how many assets you own; if these are not valuable enough to provide cash after a sale, your family can be at a severe financial risk. Another factor to consider is whether you require a death benefit for a business. Any outlying businesses will require some form of coverage in the event that you are no longer the owner. Ultimately, term insurance is designed for complete financial protection in the event that you pass away.

Annual Renewable and Level Term Insurance

The beneficiaries of your insurance proceeds will receive the funds free of federal and state income taxes. The money can be used for any expenses, costs, and even pay off some debts such as a mortgage or outstanding revolving accounts. Term insurance can be renewed each year, while other premium policies can be extended for a specific period of time. Annual renewable term policies are ideal for short-term needs and the premiums will fluctuate each year upon renewal. However, this may become unaffordable if it is started too early. A level premium term life insurance plan may be a better option, since this will cover the insured for a set of years: 10, 15, or 20 years at a time will be covered at a set rate so there will not be any fluctuations in payments. Renewals may require an evidence of insurability, but you will have a chance to take advantage of more favorable rates.

Key Benefits of Term Insurance

A number of benefits exist for term insurance policies, and finding an affordable plan can help minimize the costs involved with alternative options such as permanent life insurance. Key benefits of term insurance include:

• Beneficiaries are paid the face value of the policy when the insured dies during the term

• Term insurance generally costs less than permanent life insurance plans and policies, making it more affordable in the long-term

• Some policies are renewable and may even be converted to a permanent insurance status

• A level term life insurance policy can last up to 30 years

• A higher cash value after proceeds are distributed to beneficiaries

Death benefits are not paid at the end of the term, so establishing the right amount of the policy is important during the selection process. Term insurance is the simplest and easiest type of insurance available. Most have a renewable feature that will allow you to increase the premium if any health concerns or life changes occur, and locking in a secure rates becomes much easier. Qualifying for various policies can be challenging, but once the medical evaluation is completed, the physical examination will easily approve a certificate of insurability.

What Term Insurance Proceeds May Be Used For

Once the insured has passed away and the beneficiaries receive the proceeds, term insurance can be used for a variety of purposes that can maintain your family's financial health and protect them from hardship. Common uses for proceeds may include:

• Paying off a mortgage

• Setting up a retirement fund for a spouse

• Covering children's school and college expenses

• Paying off debts such as credit cards or auto loans

• Purchasing stocks for long-term investments

• Covering business expenses

• Cover health costs of immediate family members

• Pay for personal expenses

A Comparison Of Life Insurance (Whole And Term) What To Purchase

When, how much and what kind of life insurance should I buy? Many people buy too much life insurance without any regard to having money to live on in their latter years. You should be thinking about all the income you would have earned in the event of your premature death.

The rates for life insurance for a young person are typically quite small due to the fact that their odds of death are small but increase as they age. So typically what a life insurance salesman will do due to the low rates with a whole life policy convince the buyer they also need a saving feature. Of course this adds a lot to the cost of the monthly premium. Let me illustrate to you here what happens in the event you die plus what happens to your savings portion.

Let’s assume you had a next door neighbor that came over and explained that he was starting an investment club. Naturally he wanted you to participate but first he had to explain the rules of the club. Rule 1, the initial amount you deposit into the club account will be retained as an operating expense for the first couple of years. Rule 2, after your account grows after the first couple of years the club will pay 2 1/2 % to 3 1/2 % interest. Rule 3, in the event you experience some hard times the club will loan you your own money and charge 5 to 6 % interest. Rule 4, in the event of death the club will keep your savings account!

These four rules apply to any whole life policy. Even though you may have accumulated $9,999 in your savings (cash value), upon death the insurance company keeps your savings! Would you knowingly enter into any kind of investment like this! Buy insurance for protection only not savings or investment!

Buying A Small Amount Of Whole Life Insurance

Basic Reason for Whole Life Insurance

The purchase of whole life insurance online can present certain challenges for both the consumer and insurance agent looking to achieve that individual’s goals of protection. While this financial product offers many different options and plans, one very simple fit for both is structuring a small whole life insurance plan for funeral costs.

Many of my clients are people looking to secure a small amount of whole life insurance to offset the costs associated with their funeral so that their family members will not need to shoulder the costs. In most cases, a person will purchase a $25,000.00 policy that will provide an initial death benefit to cover those costs and continue to grow each year with an annual payment that, in most cases, can be as low as $500.00.

Growing Your Whole Life Insurance Policy Over Time

Furthermore, many clients also attach an option which allows them to purchase a guaranteed amount of additional insurance later in time without any further medical underwriting. This is certainly common with a person looking to leave a small tax-free gift to their respective family members.

Obtaining such an insurance policy was tailor made for the internet. Rather than meeting with an agent or broker in their office for an hour where they most likely will try to ‘up-sell’ you with more coverage an options than you need, applying online through an online site couldn’t be easier. You can obtain a free quote from a reputable, secure online site with solid financial ratings and complete the underwriting process without leaving your home. The application in most cases can be taken over the phone with the agent or completed on your end at another time convenient to your schedule.

If you are looking to obtain a small amount of guaranteed permanent insurance for funeral costs, search online for a collection of quotes and consider applying online. The underwriting process generally takes about 4 weeks and will provide you the convenience and privacy without an agent trying to push you into a whole life policy you DON’T need.

Life Insurance - Smoke Signals

No-one said it would be easy but giving up smoking is really worthwhile and it’s a perfectly achievable aim. Why not join the band of ex-smokers, starting from today? If are you now a reformed smoker, we have some even better news for you.

You can expect more than increased life expectancy and a vast improvement in your well-being if you quit smoking. The saving in your life insurance premiums will be noticeable too. Whilst it’s true that you might have to wait a little while before this last saving is within your grasp, in the meantime your savings on cigarettes can make quite a difference to your pocket.

It’s quite usual to find that insurance companies require you to have had a five year smoke-free period. Technically they say “not smoked or used nicotine products”.

There are, however, some insurers who’ll reward you for your good behaviour by reducing the non-smoking period to just 12 months. If you can, hand on heart, say that you’ve refrained from smoking for a whole year, then find out what your insurers stance is on this. If you can do better, then do your homework and consider changing to a more sympathetic insurer. As a smoker you’ll have been paying in the region of 60% more for your life insurance cover so savings are on the cards. At this stage, leave your old cover in place. You don’t want to leave yourself uninsured and shouldn’t do anything hasty until you have acceptance, in writing, from your new insurer.

To find out all about changing your insurance company you’ll need to find a life insurance broker. The internet is the best place to look. Comparison sites will not be particularly useful as they won’t give the information regarding the non-smoking period. Your online broker will be able to give you all the information that you need, make comparisons for you, bearing the 12 month rule in mind. There’s an on-line discount too. Start off by talking to a human being and explaining your situation!

Your quotes will come through quickly. You can then compare these with what your current policy is costing you, which will of course have been worked out when you were a smoker. It’s the overall cost that counts and we think you may be quite impressed with the saving. There is no limit to the amount of help and quotations you can receive, your broker will be happy to help and there’s no obligation on your part.

When you have pinpointed a particular quotation that interests you and has the 12 month condition, it’ll be time to complete an application form. Do go through this carefully and read every question. Answer in full and be completely honest. Sometimes people try to reduce the premium by trying to put in the answer they think the insurer wants to hear, rather than the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It’s simply not worth it.

The first price which you were quoted would be the insurance company’s standard terms. The questions regarding things like health and weight may have some effect on the final figure. By leaving your current insurance in place, you’ll have time to consider the quotation and make sure that you have the saving your twelve months of good behaviour deserves.

Don’t be discouraged from switching insurers, it’s very little trouble as far as you’re concerned and it’s what the broker is there for.

Don’t put it off. Start the ball rolling today.

Life Insurance - When You Are Gone

Immortality is no big deal. Just imagine getting up on a Monday morning 52 times a year for the rest of eternity. Really only two advantages of eternal life spring to mind – you could start reading ‘War & Peace’ and know that you would have time to finish it, and you wouldn’t need life insurance. However, as mere mortals, maybe we shouldn’t start on a very long book and we should take out life insurance, because we none of us know just how long we have got.

Not particularly cheerful advice, but very practical. Can you really face the idea of departing this life and leaving behind little more than the memory of you? If you have family or other dependants, it is vital that you provide for their futures especially if you are the main breadwinner. The trauma of the loss would be quite enough for anyone to cope with, without having to worry about how they are going to manage financially, and maybe even contemplate the loss of their home.

So if you haven’t got adequate life cover or perhaps have no life insurance of any sort, you should take action to correct that situation without delay. Perhaps you have considered it and perhaps you have even had a look at what is available, and then put off doing anything about it because there are too many options and it is difficult to know which to opt for. This is absolutely understandable because there are so many variations that anyone could be forgiven for being confused – but procrastination will not put food on the table for your dependents when you are gone.

So you need information. The following is a general guide to what is available, which should enable you to decide more or less which types of cover may be best suited to your needs. The fine detail is avoided because that is best left to the experts, whom you should be able to approach with a rough idea of what you are looking for, and equally important, which types would not be suited to your needs.

Term insurance in one of its forms is likely to meet most needs. Its name indicates that it provides cover for a period which is agreed between the company providing the policy and the insured individual. At the end of that term all cover ceases and there is no cash value remaining. Payment against the policy will usually be in the form of a lump sum on the death of the insured.

There are a variety of different forms of cover available under the umbrella name of term insurance, of which the following are the more usual examples.

Family Income Benefit is one of the best and must have been developed with bereaved families in mind. The death of the policy holder during the term of the insurance releases a tax free sum which will be paid every year right through to the end of the term. Costs for this type are at a minimum because the term during which the payments would be made is constantly reducing.

Level term insurance is very straight forward. It is well suited to covering the capital portion of an ‘interest only’ mortgage, because the value of cover is determined at the outset and is retained for the whole of the term.

A Decreasing Term policy on the other hand is better suited to covering a repayment mortgage, as it decreases in value over the term to nil at the end, effectively shadowing the reducing balance of the mortgage. The premiums are correspondingly low.

An Increasing Term mortgage maintains its value throughout the term by taking the effects of inflation into account, and is best suited to fulfilling a lump sum requirement at a constant value. The premiums are correspondingly high.

Finally it is worthwhile mentioning Whole of Life cover which is not actually term insurance, as the cover provided is effective to the end of the life of the insured person, subject only to the premiums being paid as due. The insured amount, plus the value of any benefits accruing to the investment, is paid out on the death of the insured

The above few examples give a generalised guide to some of the policies which are available, and should allow you to talk to a broker and discuss your needs in detail. It may well be that more than one type of cover will be required to meet all your needs, but find a brokers via the internet (which is an excellent source), and they will provide guidance.

Once settled you can relax, content that you have taken care of your dependents needs, and if you are really adventurous you could start reading ‘War and Peace’!

Throwing A Little Light On Term Insurance

Term insurance can offer you solutions for a number of situations. Not only is term life insurance more reasonable than the usual permanent life insurance but it also allows people to have more flexible options. Many people do not know all that is available when deciding to take out term insurance. Two areas where term insurance can be an option for you are, funeral expenses and income replacement.

Term Insurance Can Help With Funeral Expenses

While you may not want to think about funeral expenses, it is one of those expenses that is often left to others to worry about, after we are gone. Term insurance can help alleviate the worry of financial strain for your family left behind. Term insurance will help cover any mortgage payments plus funeral costs and give peace of mind to you and your loved ones.

How Term Insurance Covers Income Replacement

With the rising cost of living today, it is a common sight to see two adults in a family working to pay the bills. In the event of one of the wage earners passing away suddenly, term insurance will make sure there is no financial strain on the family left behind. Term insurance can give safety and security for a family in case of unexpected events.

Term Insurance Has These Benefits

Traditional life insurance policies do not have the advantages that a term insurance policy does. A big benefit that many receive from term insurance is the fact that it is much cheaper than traditional insurance. Because of this, they are a great option for families that are just starting out or those thinking of starting a family..

Another advantage is the conversion clause in many of the term life insurance policies. This means you can change the insurance into a permanent policy whenever they want. However, each policy will differ on the limits of conversion. So when you are looking for a term life insurance policy you should watch this clause and take into account what you will need for your future.

There are policies that require a five-year waiting period prior to changing. This may not seem like a good option at first but it will give you time to consider your needs. There is the other end of the scale too, the limit on when you can no longer change your policy. A good option to have is one that allows you to change up until age seventy-five. When you are thinking of converting, then it is important to see what your permanent policy will include, how that will affect you and your family's future, before you make the decision to change for the term insurance.

As term insurance is temporary in nature, it is generally used to provide cover for temporary financial needs of the person insured. These needs could include, apart from funeral expenses and income replacement as already listed, things like consumer debt, dependant care, college expenses for your dependants and of course mortgages.

Whatever insurance you are thinking of taking out, shop around, seek advice from an insurance agent and always read the fine print. If you have trouble with the fine print seek out someone who can explain it to you in plain English.

Knowing The Pros And Cons Of Finding The Best Whole Life Insurance

Once you have finally decided to take that big step and invest in your first life insurance policy you are left with one more major decision: to choose to accept a whole life or a term life. Although both policies will give you and your family the benefit of owning life insurance, they are both totally different ways of obtaining coverage for your demise. Each and every year hundreds of unfortunate consumers are left in the dark when looking for their own policies, and we are looking to bring an end to that confusion.

The major benefits of the best whole life insurance, or permanent life insurance as it is known in some circles, can immediately begin even if you are still young. Much as its name implies, you are covered for your entire life if you decide to enroll in this kind of policy. With great flexibility, you can begin the policy at whatever age you wish - and provided you continue to pay the premiums, the policy will last until you die even if you live to be over one hundred. In contrast to this flexibility, term life insurance can only be purchased for a set period of years determined actuarially by your insurance provider.

Secondly, permanent life insurance holds a major advantage over term life because of the diversity in policies you can purchase. The first these unique policies is the typical or traditional style of insurance in which the premium remains roughly the same as long as you pay on time year after year. Premiums from this type of policy start high, but do not increase by much the older you get. By keeping the premiums low, insurance companies allow retirees on a fixed income to still keep the policies they held when they were younger.

With the second type of whole life insurance, universal form, you are allowed to change the payout and premium levels of your policy as the years go by. While a medical examination is required whenever you make these changes, you can use this type of insurance as a way to generate interest to help you pay for rising premiums if necessary.

Next we have variable life insurance. With this style of insurance, you are actually able to invest a small portion of your payout in bonds, the stock market, or just about whatever other moneymaking offer you see fit. Even though you could lose a portion of insurance by investing, the chance of increasing your payout’s size without increasing premiums is a big draw for many people.

Finally, you can combine the advantages of the previous two types of policies in a variable-universal plan. This type of life insurance not only allows you to raise or lower your premiums and payouts through regular medical exams but also lets you invest part of the payout in different stocks or bonds. Without a doubt, if you want to maximize your best whole life insurance benefits, the variable-universal plan is a type of insurance that you should definitely consider.

Four Good Reasons Why You MUST Get Life Insurance Right Away!

Why should you purchase life insurance as early in life as possible? Let me lay out a few reasons and, hopefully, get your attention.

# 1. Certain types of life insurance build what's called a "cash value". This means that as you continue to pay your life insurance premiums you'll eventually build up a "nest egg" that you may borrow against later in your life if you need to.

# 2. Your life insurance "premiums" (payments) are generally lower earlier in your life. They begin to increase as you grow older. You see, life insurance, like car insurance, is based on the average statistics of a given amount of people in your age group. Those statistics will show that a certain percentage of people in a particular age group will pass away. This percentage will generally be higher for people in their fifties compared to people in their twenties.

# 3. To keep your unexpected passing from becoming an unexpected burden on your family. Funeral arrangements are not cheap these days. The average funeral costs between $6,000-$10,000.00, depending on how extravagant the final arrangements are. There are less expensive options such as being cremated, but even cremation has a "higher tier" and "lower tier" of dignity. These options vary from being placed in a pleasant looking urn to being delivered to your loved ones in a cardboard box. No, this is not an exaggeration.

# 4. These final expenses can become the responsibility of your next of kin. Yes, that's absolutely correct. You didn't misread that. If you pass unexpectedly and have no assets or life insurance coverage, then the final expenses fall on your next of kin. This could be your spouse. mother, father, children, brother, sister, ect. Someone is going to get a large bill, courtesy of you and if they don't have the money to pay for it right away then they'll have to make payment arrangements.

This can seriously damage your loved ones credit. Say for example that it is your elderly parents that get stuck with your final expenses. Let's say that they own their home, but they're on a fixed income like retirement benefits, social security, ect. If something happens where they're unable to make a payment on YOUR funeral expenses then they can be taken to court and have a judgement placed against them until they pay. In some cases, if they're still unable to pay after going to court, then their personal assets can be seized in order to settle YOUR debt for funeral expenses. This means that they could lose their vehicle or even their home.

This sounds like a morbid, unbelievable situation, especially in this day and age, but I promise you that this situation is very real and happens frequently to family members of individuals that don't take the time to prepare for the final expenses.

Life insurance, especially "Term Life" is affordable for most people. You can also look into getting a burial policy that will cover your final expenses. You must do something right away though. If you are currently uninsured then you run the risk of potentially financially paralyzing those people that you love the most.

Three Reasons Why Life Insurance Is A MUST For All Family Members

Life insurance is a must have for people of all ages, no exceptions. You may believe that this is some big sales pitch to sell you life insurance. Well, actually, no, it's not. I'm no longer an agent, however, this is a topic that's "near and dear" to my heart after the recent loss of one of my children and the previous loss of my father in-law, both of whom had no life insurance coverage.

I've put together a few simple reasons why it's so very important that ALL family members have some type of coverage.

# 1. For young adults it's important because, with certain types of insurance policies, they can get a "fixed rate" that will never increase. This is most prevalent with "Term Life Insurance" that you can buy in ten and twenty year increments. The premiums will never increase as long as you continue to renew the policy each time that it comes due.

# 2. Another reason that young adults should buy life insurance is because, with "Whole Life Insurance" policies, they can build a nest egg by the accumulation of the cash value of the policy. Whole life policies cover an individual for their whole life or up to the age of 100, whichever comes first. When you make a payment on the policy, also known as the "premium", a portion of the money goes toward buying your insurance, while the other portion goes into an account that will continue to grow, as long as you continue to make the payments. You may borrow against this later on in life if you need to.

# 3. For all other members of the family it's important to have individual coverage in order not to become a financial burden on the remaining members.

Funeral costs today cost upwards of ten thousand dollars. The majority of this cost is for the casket with the remainder going towards the burial plot, headstone and funeral home.

There are less expensive alternatives such as cremation, but even this option has an "upside" and a "downside". The cost for someone to be cremated is pretty standard, around $1,000.00, but what's done with the remains will determine how much the final total on this option will be.

You'll be offered a selection of extravagant containers for your loved one's remains (Urn's). They quickly go from extravagant to something more economical, to, finally, a specially designed cardboard box. This is absolutely true and not a fabrication.

Whatever method chosen is not free and someone must sign for financial responsibility. This means that whoever signs the agreement for the deceased is legally liable to pay these expenses just as if they were financing a car. The only difference in this case is that if a person were financing a vehicle, or some other type of physical possession, then, in the event that they were unable to make the payments, they could simply return the item. This is known as "voluntary repossession".

In the case of funeral expenses, there's nothing too repossess, although some funeral homes won't release the loved one's remains until the debt is satisfied. In many cases, unpaid debts such as this end up in court and if the family is unable to pay then they will have a "judgement" placed against them. This can result in a damaged credit rating and, depending on how hard the funeral home wishes to pursue the matter, possible loss of the family member's own assets.

Do you see the importance of having your own life insurance policy now? If something were to happen to you then you could leave your loved one's financially devastated. Life insurance is not just a "luxury", it's absolutely necessary, for ALL family members.

Term Life Insurance and Permanent Life Insurance

Term insurance and permanent insurance are two basic types of life insurance. Term life insurance is temporary, and it covers only a specific period of time called the relevant term. Permanent life insurance is the type of insurance where the policy is for the life of the insured and the payout is assured at the end of the policy. Term life insurance builds on cash value while permanent life insurance accrues cash value.

Now let's look at the pros and cons for term life insurance and permanent life insurance.

Term insurance has two advantages. First, its initial premiums are usually lower than the initial premiums of permanent insurance. Secondly, term insurance is better for covering needs such as loans or mortgages, which will disappear in time.

There are a few disadvantages in term life insurance: Coverage might become too expensive to keep or terminate at the end of the term. Also, the premiums increase with ages. Besides, paid-up insurance and cash value are usually not offered.

The advantages of permanent insurance are as follow: You get a guaranteed protection for life as long as you have paid the premiums. Secondly, a cash value is accumulated with the policy and you can borrow from it. Thirdly, you can choose to set the premium costs whether fixed or flexible depending on your needs. Besides, a permanent insurance policy's cash value can be surrendered for cash value. In addition, you can add a provision to the policy for the option of purchasing additional insurance without having to providing evidence of insurability.

There are a couple of disadvantages in permanent life insurance. First of all, the required premium levels might make buying enough protection harder. Also, if not kept long enough, permanent life insurance might be more costly than term life insurance.

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Common Mistakes To Avoid When Purchasing Term Life Insurance

When purchasing term life insurance, there are a number of factors to consider. Consumers should make certain they understand the concept of term life insurance and make purchases accordingly. Here are a few of the most common mistake people make when buying term life insurance policies:

1. Buying a term life insurance policy because it is inexpensive. While the price may be cheap, you must make sure that the policy will meet your life insurance needs.

2. Failing to realize that term life insurance is temporary. A term life insurance policy will only be in effect for a set period of time. After that time expires you will need to renew, and if your health has deteriorated in that time it may be very difficult for you to obtain another policy.

3. Purchasing life insurance from an unknown or unstable insurance company. If the insurance company you choose does not have at least an A rating, walk away and look elsewhere.

4. Buying life insurance from an over-anxious agent. If the agent does not take the time to ask questions and understand your needs, end the conversation immediately and find a different agent.

5. Failing to review your policy on a regular basis. Changes in your life, your employment, and your finances can affect your life insurance needs. Take the time to analyze your situation from time to time to determine if your insurance needs have changed.

Save Money By Getting A Term Life Insurance Quote Online

When deciding or choosing what life insurance is best for you, you can avoid feeling pressured into a policy by searching for a term life insurance quote online. The service is terrific and it can be a fast turnaround because you control how fast or slow the process can be. Getting a term life insurance quote online is as simple as the click of the mouse. With so many life insurance companies now operating on the Internet, all you have to do is log onto the various sites and check out the rates for term life insurance.

When you check for a term life insurance quote online, you do not have to pay for the quote. This service is free and you should request quotes from at least three different companies. This way you can do a comparison of online life insurance quotes. Each of the companies has a form that you fill in and they will respond to you with the quote- usually in less than 24 hours.

Some of the required questions you will have to answer to get a term life insurance quote online are your age, occupation, medical history and whether or not you smoke. All of these factors affect the price the online quote you receive. A younger person will certainly get a much lower premium than an older person because the likelihood that he/she will die within the term of the policy is much less.

Your occupation is also a deciding factor in getting the best possible online life insurance quotes. This is because the life insurance company looks at the dangers involved. If you do work at a dangerous occupation, then it is possible the company will have to pay out a settlement on the insurance before the term runs out. One thing you do have to remember with getting term life insurance quotes online is that these quotes are for a specified term, such as 10 or 15 years. If you are still alive at the end of the term you do not collect any money from the policy.

Whether or not the life insurance company needs you to have a medical depends on your medical history. If you have a record of heart disease for example, it will affect the term life insurance quote online that the company will give you. You many get a policy with a clause inserted saying that should you die of this illness, there not be any settlement paid out. You so have to be honest in answering the questions for the online life insurance quotes because it could result in cancellation of your policy down the road. Then you are left with no policy and you will have paid out money in premiums for nothing.

However before getting a term life insurance quote online make sure you have found out exactly what type of life insurance you need.

Term Life And Whole Life Insurance

Which type of policy is best for you, term or whole life? The answer depends on several factors, including:

Your Needs. If you need coverage only until your children graduate from college, for example, you might be better off with a term life policy.

Cash-value insurance is better suited for long term needs, such as planning estate taxes and providing lifetime security for your spouse. Some term policies cannot be renewed past age 70 or 80 and can become costly to renew as you approach that age.

The Cost. If term life insurance is more suited to your budget and you want life time coverage, consider a term life policy which can be converted into a whole life policy. Then you can convert the policy whenever your cash flow or needs dictate. You can also purchase a combination of term life and whole life insurance and gradually shift into whole life insurance over time.

Your Savings and Investment Goals. Whole life insurance can be a good long term investment vehicle, especially because the cash value has the potential to grow tax-deferred. Should you no longer need the insurance but want some extra cash, you may surrender the policy and collect the accumulated cash value. Be sure to discuss the tax consequences with your tax advisor first.

As an alternative, you could purchase term life insurance and invest what you save on premiums on your own. Compare the returns you can expect, and remember to take taxes into consideration if you plan to select taxable investments.

So, Should I Buy Term Life or Whole Life Insurance? Term life and whole life insurance both have advantages including immediate family protection. Deciding which type of policy and which features are right for you takes careful consideration and, most times, a comprehensible look at your financial plan. To discuss your life insurance needs and financial requirements, contact your financial professional.

Term Life Insurance: The differences between Term and Whole Life policies

Life Insurance quite generally is a policy whereby you pay a company a premium so that if you die while covered your descendents receive financial benefits. Within the larger Life Insurance window there exist two broad categories of policies, Term and Whole life (Whole Life is also known by the equivalent term Universal Life Insurance). Term Life is exactly what its name implies, valid only for a certain period of time, whereas Whole life lasts the duration of one's life.

Price Differences

Because Term Life has a structured beginning and end, typically from 1 to 30 years, it is normally quite a bit cheaper than Whole Life. That is because under Whole Life it is assured that the insurer will eventually pay out (as we all eventually die). Under Term Life, however, there is a very good chance that you will live through the period of the policy and thus the insurance company can simply take your premiums without ever having to pay out anything.

Benefits Differences

Another important distinction between Term and Whole Life is the fact that at the end of the Term Policy, the policyholder is left with nothing but his own health. On the other hand, with a Whole Life Policy the insurer often takes a portion of the premium and places it into a savings account for the policyholder. In case of emergency later in life, the Whole Life Policy Holder can access that money to meet some needs while still living. As you can imagine, the Insurance Company raises the price they charge for access to all of this.

Deciding Between the Two

So, how does one decide between Term and Whole Life Insurance? To best answer that question it is important to ask why you need the insurance in the first place. Is it because you have young children and a spouse who does not have the earning potential to get your children through college? Or is it because you work in a dangerous industry and will regularly face the prospect of death over the next few years? These are both excellent candidates for Term Life Insurance. In the first case, it is important that the provider ensure enough financial support for approximately 10 years and then the need drops off, while the second example may require a shorter 3 - 5 year Term Life Policy.

On the other hand, let's imagine that you have a mentally handicapped person you will support indefinitely, or a spouse that has never worked at all. These may be better candidates for Whole Life as the financial need they feel responsible for extends not only to some definite period in the future, but as long as the other person is alive. Under these circumstances, paying the premium for Whole Life might be worthwhile.

Term and Whole Life Insurance fill an important void in many lives by providing some assurance that in case of an accident, loved ones will not be left stranded. It is important to remember, however, that the policies are not panaceas. The savings rate on Whole Life Policies is usually dismal compared to open market rates, and with Term, you are making payments on a product you may never use. Ultimately, the decision to purchase either of these products should involve weighing your personal risk and health, your current and expected financial situation, and alternative uses for funds you have earmarked for a policy.

Term Life Insurance. What Is It All About?

What is term life insurance? You have an interest in buying term life insurance, that is why you are reading this article, and you want to know how it really works. Right? Well, there are many types of term life insurance and I am going to give you a brief explanation as to how each one works.

Decreasing Term Life Insurance

Decreasing term life insurance is very popular with home owners and mortgage companies. The homeowners want to know that the mortgage is paid off if they should prematurely die, and the mortgage company want to be assured that they are repaid the money loaned to the homeowner. The face amount of these policies decrease in a uniformed manner each year as the balance owed on the mortgage decreases, and the premium remains level. This is very inexpensive life insurance.

Increasing Premium Term Life Insurance

This is initially the cheapest term life insurance you can buy. The death benefit remains level for the duration, however, the premiums increase every year and as a result this may turn out to be the most expensive term life insurance you can buy. If you should purchase this policy it would be wise to convert to a level plan as quickly as possible.

5 Year Level Term Insurance

The face amount of this policy remains level for the entire 5 year period and so does the premium. Upon death the face amount is paid either in one lump sum or in the form of an income. If you have a short term need for life insurance, like covering a bank loan, then this may be the plan for you.

10 Year Term Life Insurance

Like the 5 year term life insurance policy, the ten year term life policy can be used to cover a bank loan, but it can do considerably more. It can be used for family protection and a myriad of other needs. The face amount of the policy remains level for the duration and so does the premium. Some companies allow you to continue the policy after 10 years with an increase in premium.

20 Year Term Life Insurance

The 20 year term life insurance policy is probably the most popular of term life policies. The death benefit remains level for the duration and in some cases so does the premium. With some companies, however, the premiums increase after the first 10 years to reflect the cost of the additional risk to which the insurance company is exposed as the insured gets older. All in all, the 20 tear term life insurance policy is fairly inexpensive and does the job it is intended to do.

Unlike whole life insurance, universal life insurance or variable life insurance, term life insurance does not have cash values or earn dividends. There is a fairly new type of term life insurance policy, however, called a return of premium policy which returns all your premiums at the end of the term period, if you do not die. The premiums are so high it may not be worth your while to buy this type of term policy.

Term Life Insurance Vs Permanent

Ever since the idea of term life insurance came to the mind of man term life insurance vs permanent has been the center of active and thought provoking debate. Term insurance is without question cheaper than permanent life insurance but when compared with the value built into the latter people have varying ideas as to which is best. What about the cash values and dividends you get from permanent policies? Do you just ignore these? How can cash values and dividends be used to offset cost? Questions worth answering aren't they?

The ever constant innovation of life insurance policies make it more and more difficult to come to a consensus. Term life insurance vs permanent will continue to provoke the thoughts of anyone considering a life insurance purchase. Because term is simplest I will discuss that one first then I will get to the complexities of permanent life insurance and it's varying alternatives.

The Advantages Of Term Life Insurance

What life insurance companies have attempted to do with term life insurance, and have been fairly successful at doing it, is to strip the life insurance policy of as much of the front end load as possible. They have been more successful in doing this with some policies than with others. Let us take the increasing premium term policy for example. The lower premiums in the younger years result from the fact that the applicant is less likely to die within a given period, the term period, than an older person. Term life insurance is life insurance in it's simplest form taking into consideration mortality based on actual experience.

If we were to examine a decreasing term life insurance policy the decreasing annual premium reflects the decrease in the death benefit each year, also bearing in mind the fact that the insured is getting older each year. People like the way this is done because they believe that at no time they are paying more than for the term life insurance they actually want.

Advantages Of Whole Life Insurance

Comparing term life insurance vs permanent we notice that the whole life insurance premium is loaded up front. The life insurance company take most of the cost to issue a whole life policy in the first few years. There are clerical costs, medical costs if the policy is large enough or if they are dealing with an impaired risk, and of course agents commissions etc. If the costs are less than anticipated, and they usually are, they return that portion of unused premium. This is called a cash value. This cash value earn dividends which, if left with the company, accumulate interest. There are alternate dividend options that you may elect.

If you were to deduct the cash value of a life insurance policy plus the dividend after 20 years from the amount you paid in premiums you would see that the policy cost nothing over that period. But, hold on. We have to consider what those dollars, over and above the cost of term life insurance, would have been doing had they not been in the whole life policy. What rate of interest would be available.

The advocates of buying term when examining term life insurance vs permanent contend that the money would be earning the maximum over that 20 year period. On the other hand, the advocates for permanent life insurance assume that the extra premium would not be saved or invested. There is truth in both arguments but, because each person is different, we cannot come to a definite conclusion as to which is best. If you can afford to buy any policy you choose , do your comparisons for yourself and go with your gut.

10 Year Term Life Insurance In All It's Glory

If you are looking for inexpensive life insurance may be the 10 year term life insurance policy would fit your need perfectly. This is life insurance in its simplest form. The policy contains a guaranteed death benefit from the outset and a guaranteed level premium. After the initial 10 years some life insurance companies allow you to renew the policy for an additional 10 years at an increased premium. This 10 year term policy provides you with ample insurance for small outlay over a fairly short period of time.

Policy Death Benefit

If you are the proud owner of a 10 year term life insurance policy. If you should die within 10 years of your ownership of this policy the full face amount is paid to your beneficiary, either in a lump sum or in the form of a monthly income. The monthly income may take one of several different income options. You may choose to take a life income with no certain period. After the beneficiary begins receiving the income if s/he should die suddenly that would be the end of the income. No one would get anything more from that 10 year life insurance policy. It does not matter if the income is paid only for one month. There are other options that would assure you, however, that would assure your beneficiaries more of a pay out.

You could choose to pay them a life income with a 10 or 20 year certain. This would guarantee that the income is paid for 10 or 20 years respectively. You could choose a fixed period option which would guarantee that the income is paid out for a fixed period, example 20 years or you could use the interest option, which would keep your principal in tact and pay only interest to beneficiaries for a specific period of years. At the end of this period the principal would be paid.

Term Insurance Conversion Privelege

Most term insurance policies have built in a conversion privelege. The 10 year term life insurance policy is no exception. This is because term insurance is temporary insurance and people usually have a permanent for life insurance. You can convert your policy usually to any permanent policy within a specific period of time. Some companies limit your conversion period to 8 years, whereas others may allow the policy owner the full 10 years.

Available Riders To Your Policy

There are certain riders that you can add to your 10 year term life insurance policy which would tremendously increase it's value to yourself and your beneficiaries. You may add the waiver of premium disability rider. If you should become disabled, anytime after 6 months of disability, the life insurance company will pay your premiums for you even if it is for the entire duration of the policy. Now, isn't that just great?

Another rider that you can add is the accidental death benefit rider. This is sometimes referred as the double indemnity rider. If you should die in an accident the life insurance company will pay double the death benefit to your beneficiaries.

Minimums And Maximums

There are certain minimum and maximum amounts of 10 year term life insurance that insurance companies will be prepared to issue on an applicants life. This may vary by age and medical history. Some companies may be prepared to issue between $20,000 and $1,000,000, others may start at 100,000 and go as high as $10,000,000 or $20,000,000.

Living Benefit Riders

The aids virus brought about a fairly new idea which many life insurance companies have adopted. Because of a tremendous need for additional cash terminally ill people may sell their policy to investors for a percentage of its value. As an alternative you can add a rider to your policy which would allow you to withdraw a portion of your death benefit during your lifetime. This is called a living benefit rider. It would serve to ease the pressure on the terminally ill and their families.

Spouse And Child Term Riders

Many insurance companies offer the opportunity for you to add a comparatively small term life insurance rider on the life of your spouse and children. These riders are usually 5 year term or 10 year term riders which work out to be less expensive than had the policies been bought separately.

The 5 Year Term Life Insurance Policy Or Rider

5 year term life insurance has been around in insurance circles for a very long time. It can be sold as a policy or as a rider to a permanent life insurance policy. It was never promoted much by life insurance agents perhaps because of it's extremely low premium which results in a very low commission. Another possibility is that 5 years is a very short period of time for a life insurance policy.

Why 5 Year Term Life Insurance

5 year term life does have it's place in the portfolios of many life insurance buyers and can fulfill a very important need. If you have a short term need for life insurance then this type of insurance may be for you. If you find it necessary to take out a loan for a short period of time a five year term policy on your life can assure the lender that if you should die before the loan is repaid they will get back their money. Certainly that is a good reason to buy this type of insurance. You may take the loan to pay for a college education either for yourself or a child or grandchild.

The face amount of the 5 year term policy remains level for the duration and so does the premium. Even though it is initially taken out for 5 years some companies allow you to continue beyond the initial 5 year period at a higher premium. The death benefit is more often than not free of income taxes. You may convert your policy to permanent insurance in the future.

Waiver Of Premium Rider

It may be wise to add a waiver of premium rider to your 5 year term life insurance policy. If you should become disabled, anytime after 6 months of disability, the life insurance company will take over the payment of your premiums for you, even if it is for the rest of your life. Think about it for a moment. Do you realize that people become temporarily disabled an average of about 5 times during their lifetimes. If you become disabled for at least 6 months with most companies they will pay your 5 year term life insurance premium for you. Now isn't that amazing.

Accidental Death Benefit Or Double Indemnity Rider

The famous double indemnity rider can also be attached to your policy. If you should die in an accident the life insurance company will pay to your beneficiary twice the face amount. Let us suppose you bought a $500,000 5 year term policy with one unit of accidental death benefit for each $1,000 of your policy and you died in an accident. The life insurance company would pay $1,000,000 to your family. That would be just beautiful, wouldn't it.

Click the link below to learn more about 5 year term life insurance and many other types of life insurance.

Why Term Life Insurance is the Smart Option

By far, the most efficient way to obtain life insurance is through a term life insurance policy. term life insurance policy Some financial advisors insist that their clients use whole life insurance rather than term life insurance. I am going to show you why they are wrong. The three primary reasons they give for recommending whole life are: 1) whole life insurance lasts the period of your entire life so you don't have to worry about renewal or possible health downturns that could increase your life insurance rates on term renewal; 2) whole life insurance can be used as a retirement investment; 3) if you should decide you want to have life insurance for your surviving family, whole life insurance will provide that extra net of security.

These reasons miss some very important facts about whole life insurance vs. term life insurance debate. First of all, if you are concerned about possible downturns in your health, then you can be sure to choose a term life product that extends until the time when you will no longer have dependents for whom to provide security. It is not as tenuous a matter as these whole life insurance proponents would suggest. Problem solved.

Secondly, a whole life insurance policy has a poor return on investment. If you are interested in retirement planning, as everyone should be, then term life insurance is the most effective type of life insurance. This is because it does not pretend to be an investment vehicle the way that whole life insurance does. Term life insurance is up to four times less expensive than whole life insurance. The money that you save on the insurance premiums can then be invested in a stock or other investment that will provide a much higher return on investment. Get a term life insurance quote and see the truth of what I'm saying here.

As for the third reason, realistically this will not likely be an issue for most folks. Most of us are only interested in a life insurance product that makes up for our lost income should we die while dependents are still at home. For those few who have a different objective, there are far better ways to purchase security for your family in your old age. This is because the security purchased in a whole life insurance policy comes at too high a price. If you want to make sure that your family has some form of death insurance for you after you retire, there are cheaper ways to provide it. To fill this role, you can choose one of the long-term, low-risk investments such as the Treasury Inflation Protected Securities.

At this point it should be clear that the most cost effective form of life insurance is term life insurance. Whole life insurance just pads the premium price for the sake of a segment of your life during which you won't be needing life insurance. On the other hand, term life covers the period for which the life insurance product is appropriate, while leaving savings and investments to better suited products. As if you needed more confirmation, even the federal trades commission recommends term life insurance as a good way to save money.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is a life insurance product that pays out a cash lump sum upon death of the insurance policyholder or at the point that the insurance policyholder is diagnosed as terminally ill. But, despite it being a low cost term life product - insurance cover can be acquired from as little as £5-£10 per month - surprisingly few of us have term life insurance in place.

For people with a mortgage and family to support, not having a term life insurance policy exposes them to a large financial risk. This risk becomes apparent when you consider how the mortgage and household bills would be paid if the main income producer were to die or to become terminally ill. The end result could be that loved ones who are left behind find their home is repossessed because they cannot keep up the mortgage repayments.

Some people prepare for such an eventuality by taking out a mortgage life insurance policy. This is all well and good for covering off the remainder of the mortgage loan, but where will the money come from to pay the gas & electricity bill and the council tax bill every month, let alone the money needed to cover the policyholder's funeral expenses? It is at this point that a term life insurance policy becomes very useful indeed.

If you don't have a term life insurance policy in place, here are some sobering reasons why you should consider taking out a term life policy now…

• CANCER - One in three people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Research into cancer is of course ongoing, and one day some cancers may be curable. In the meantime a term life policy offers income protection for loved ones left behind in the event of terminal cancer diagnosis and death from cancer.

• HEART DISEASE - Heart and circulatory disease accounts for more than 35% of all deaths in the UK each year. The number of people dying from heart and circulatory disease is on a falling trend, but the number of people becoming morbidly obese is increasing, and so may reverse this trend in the near future. Term life policies can be configured to pay out if cause of death is heart-related.

• MRSA (SUPERBUG) - The death rate from the MRSA superbug has doubled in the last 4 years. MRSA is a bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics. It commonly causes death in people with weak immune systems, and so easily spreads amongst the sick & old in hospital wards. Many life insurance policies pay out if the cause of death is MRSA related.

• AVIAN FLU (BIRD FLU) - Recent comments by the Society of General Microbiology in the UK sparked controversy when they estimated that 2 million people in the UK could die from a highly infectious strain of mutated Avian Flu. If you are worried about Avian Flu check with the life insurance agent to see if their term life policy covers such an eventuality.

When Should You Choose Term Insurance Instead of Whole Life Insurance?

"Different strokes for different folks."

When it comes to life insurance, it's important that you keep that saying in mind.

Most people are familiar with "whole" life insurance. This is the kind of insurance where you will get back a certain amount of money when it "matures" at the end of the insured period.

What you may not know is that there is another form of life insurance called "term" life insurance.

Similar to whole life insurance, when you get a term life policy, you pay a sum of money (the "premium") to the insurance company, and in exchange the company promises to pay out a certain amount of money should you die during the period for which you are covered under the policy.

In other words, you are buying insurance coverage for a certain period of time.

But unlike whole life insurance, you will not get back any money at the end of the insured period when you buy term insurance.

You may be saying to yourself, "But won't I be throwing money down the drain? After all, I won't get back a single penny after the insured period!"

Hey, I understand how you feel. But rest assured that term insurance is still a very idea, and I highly recommend that you use it to your advantage.

So, why should you still consider term insurance?

Well, one advantage of term insurance is that it's cheap. In fact, for the same amount of insurance coverage, the premium for a term policy is only a small fraction of the whole life policy's premium.

And this is why term policies are a great way for you to make sure you are sufficiently covered. If you've never checked out the premiums of a term life insurance, I highly suggest that you go do it soon. You'll be surprised at how cheap it is to bump up the insurance coverage for yourself!

Plus, you can use the money you save from the lower premiums to invest in some other areas that can potentially generate higher returns for you. This strategy is generally known as "buy term and invest the difference", and it's something I recommend that you take into consideration as you do your financial planning.