Term life insurance policies are the least expensive life insurance policies. This is because you are purchasing life coverage only when you purchase a term life insurance policy, whereas with other life insurances, such as whole life insurance, you are also purchasing an investment component. Many whole life insurance policies call these investments “retirement savings,” but there are many other ways to save for retirement without having to choose a life insurance policy that may not be the best for you. Since you are not paying for anything but life insurance with a term life insurance policy, term life insurance is less expensive than any other life insurance option for the coverage offered.

However, term life insurance is not the most practical policy choice for you if you are seeking coverage for the duration of your life and/or seeking an investment component. Term life insurance policies do not accumulate guaranteed cash values, nor do they assist with estate planning the way whole life insurance can. Another downfall is that term life insurance is not available to people above age 50 at the same less expensive premiums that apply to younger people. At this point, a whole life insurance policy may be the better option.

When you start planning your purchase of a life insurance policy, the first thing you should do is figure out exactly what kind of coverage you need (do you want to be covered for life, or for the next fifteen years?), how much you can afford or are willing to pay (how much money can you afford to spend on your life insurance?), and what kind of perks, if any, you would like your life insurance policy to offer (are you looking for a life insurance policy that will offer accumulated cash value and other investment options?).