As depressing as it is true, the only certainty in one’s life is death. The mystery is when and how it will occur. If time of death was known beforehand, preparations for one’s death could be made. Debts could be abolished, money for funeral expenses could be allocated, and it is possible the money could be saved so that loved ones would avoid financial difficulties. Unfortunately, even with warning, saving that kind of money is difficult and many would say unrealistic. For this reason, many people choose to acquire life insurance. Life insurance is when the insured pays a premium to a company so that beneficiaries receive a predetermined amount from the insurance company upon death of the insured. The amount of the premiums paid by the insured is dependent on risk factors, the amount, and type of coverage desired.
There are many risk factors, some of which are age, weight, smoking habits, and family medical history. Companies have a formula which calculates the premium using those factors. Ultimately, people who partake in less risky activities will pay less in premiums. If you are a 36 year old man who skydives and smokes, then your premium will be greater than a man of the same age who doesn’t do either of those things.
Most people who are insured, get enough coverage to take care of their debts and help their loved ones financially. A general rule of thumb is that those who have less debt and fewer dependents, will obtain less coverage and have a lower premium as a result.
There are a couple of different types of coverage/policies. One of the most common types is Whole life. This policy is a straight policy where premiums are made and often can be contracted to stop at a certain age without ending coverage.
Universal coverage is more complicated than Whole policies. This is where money is paid into an investment account and once the decided payout amount is reach, no more payments need to be made. The amount of money in the investment account can accrue value. With a Universal policy, benefits can be removed, added, or changed, not to mention the premiums are generally low.
What each person wants from a policy varies greatly. With the differences in lifestyle, income, age, and goals, comes an enormous difference in the type of coverage one purchases.
In these uncertain financial times and debt ridden society, the only way for people to guarantee the financial health of our loved ones in the wake of our death is by purchasing life insurance, because it not only helps pay off one’s debts, but there is often enough to make certain our loved ones are taken care of.