Term life terms usually come in fixed periods of time running 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years depending on carrier. One of the reasons that term life insurance is so much less expensive than whole life insurance is that the carrier is only at risk for a period of time. Whole life insurance can continue...well..for a person's whole life. The analogy of renting life insurance (term) versus owning (whole) is usually thrown out (most likely by someone selling whole life insurance!). Life insurance is quite different from home ownership (the basis for the analogy). One is an asset while the other is protection from risk. Whole life insurance can be 10 times the cost of term.
The key to term life insurance is that you use it to protect against a defined risk or to mitigate a defined financial responsibility. The most common goal is to provide for loved ones in case of the loss of an income provider be it the sole or partial provider. This is a common concern for families at all stages from newlyweds to older adults whose children have already left the house. Typically, people underestimate the financial strain a loss puts on the their families. If you were to imagine not only the stress of the loss but the financial impact of everything falling on the other family member(s), it becomes apparent pretty quickly how important sufficient term life insurance protection can be.
Let's look at some typical term considerations.
Newlyweds/families with young children.
The cost of raising children is estimated at a quarter of a million dollars from birth to college these days and that will only increase with time. Clearly, the concern for newlyweds or families with young children is to provide financial protection out to where the children are adults and ideally through college (another ever escalating expense). This would argue for a longer term period between 20-30 years. Keep in mind that for a given budget, the longer the term, the less coverage can be purchased for the same life insurance premium amount. There's a trade off and it's best to use the instant quote engine to run multiple combinations of term and term life amount to find the right "mix" for your budget.
Established family with/without older children.
As mentioned above, college becomes a key concern for this group. College is estimated at $20K-$40K and that amount will grow significantly into the foreseeable future. Paying off existing debt and/or assets also becomes a competing consideration. Mortgages, business debts, credit cards, and loans should be equally considered along with income replacement to get past the college years successfully.
Older adults
For adults who no longer have the intense financial responsibility of children, the shift is towards providing for debt/asset payoff and income replacement over a shorter period of time. Term is ideal here as well due to the significant price savings versus whole life for equivalent amounts of coverage. Age is the primary factor in determining cost so buiying term life insurance at an older age can be expensive. Whole life almost becomes out of the question for any amount of significant coverage as it's typically 10 times more expensive than term life insurance.
The best approach is to try multiple term limits when you run your instant term life insurance quote on our free engine to find the right "mix" for you.
Term Versus Whole Life Insurance
For many, the concept of term life insurance is like a word from the dictionary of a foreign language. People seem to understand they need life insurance, but are not quite sure how to go about acquiring it. Understanding the rates and prices for life insurance can be confusing at best. Understanding the time that you need and the correct coverage period for term life insurance can be even more confusing. The most difficult part of understanding life insurance is not one of these two issues, however. Often, the hardest challenge with life insurance is figuring out the amount of coverage you actually need. Sure, it is easy to get caught up in all of the zeros and assume that the amount you have randomly chosen will be enough to cover every expense but how can you determine exactly how much your term life insurance policy should cover?
Your Home and Term Life Insurance
One of the first major considerations is your home. You definitely want your term life insurance policy to cover your mortgage payment so your family does not have to worry about trying to keep up with the expenses that are brought on by the house. How can you make sure that you have it all covered, however? The largest payment, the monthly mortgage, should be the first thing on your mind. Also, know the cost of the homeowners insurance and make sure that can be covered as well. Optional coverage can include repair costs, utilities and other general upkeep. These are not life necessities, but may be an option.
Your Family and Term Life Insurance
Another key consideration is the finances and debts that your family currently has. Are your cars paid off? Any car that is not currently completely paid off should be considered in your coverage amount. You need to be sure that you can cover the costs of car payments that may need to be made as you do not want to leave your family with more car payments than they can handle. Car insurance payments should also be considered. Your family needs time to adjust to the debts and to sort them out. Making sure that they have the money in case of an untimely death, is crucial. Learn more about term life insurance at http://hovancikfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-insurance.html.
Your Kids and Term Life Insurance
When thinking of your kids, the most common question parents ask is, ?How are we going to put them through college?? If you have kids, you should figure in college costs for all of your kids. Making sure you have coverage for college (whether your children are attending now or will be in the future) can help to make sure that your family can afford to do the things you would like them to, even if you are not there. By making sure college is covered, you can take the burden away from your children from having to worry about how they are going to get through college.
Term life insurance is a complex beast that can be difficult for some to understand. But spending a little time online reading makes the topic much easier to understand. Making sure you understand your debt and possible future debt, helps you calculate an approximate amount coverage you may need. Just like anything understanding life insurance requires some research, and some understanding, but doing the work can help you to know that you have a plan that will work for your family. Start researching term life insurance today and read more about what may be best for you and your family at http://chalyza.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-insurance.html.
Both Dennis Jarvis & Sharon Taylor are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Dennis Jarvis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Business and Finance and Finances. Dennis Jarvis is a licensed insurance agent concentrating on . Shop, compare, and instantly quote multiple carriers with professional guida. Dennis Jarvis's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
Sharon Taylor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dental Practice, Finances and Family Concerns. Sharon Taylor writes life insurance articles for eQUOTE Life Insurance, offering low rates, no-obligation quotes, and informa. Sharon Taylor's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
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