Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Why Young People need Life Insurance

If you are young and healthy, then your mind is on going to school, advancing your career, and enjoying your youth. The one place that a young person’s mind rarely strays is toward death. This is unfortunate, however, because the prime of your life is the best time to get life insurance. There is no time in your life that life insurance will be so inexpensive again, particularly if you are living a relatively healthy lifestyle. This can be a great time to spend some of your extra cash on life insurance, however it is an expenditure that is usually overlooked by the young.

If you are young and healthy, then the chances are good that you will grow older rather than dying any time soon, which means that in a few years, you are going to be worrying about your family and other things, and that you will be concerned about how they will support themselves once you are gone. The answer is that they will have a hard time taking care of themselves after you are gone if you contribute anything to the household at all, and even more so if they have to pay for your medical bills and funeral out of the household savings.

This problem can be taken care of with a whole life insurance policy that is designed to help cover the costs of your final expenses, including burial or cremation and any medical bills or small debts that you may have left behind. These debts and bills can add up fast, which is why a whole life insurance policy is so important.

The older you get, the more expensive it will become to buy a whole life insurance policy. The best time to get these kinds of policies at a great price is when you are young and healthy, preferably in your twenties. These policies can be extremely helpful later in life, and the payments when you are so young and healthy are very small and are nothing to worry about.

These small payments can continue on through your life until you are ancient and infirm, and the small payments that you started out with when you were very young are the payments that you will be making for your entire life, no matter what health problems creep up on you and no matter how old you get; your whole life insurance policy will remain affordable.

Another reason to get a whole life insurance policy when you are young is that when you are young, you are likely at the healthiest point of your life. The older you get, the more likely it will be that you will be diagnosed with some problems like heart problems or high blood pressure, and these conditions, while manageable, will drive up the costs of your life insurance. To save yourself and your family a great deal of stress later in life, it is best to take a little time and money now to get life insurance while you are young.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Invest In Life Insurance

How often have you thought “that won’t happen to me?” And yet, how often has something happened when you were sure that you would not be a victim of that particular fate?

Life is full of uncertainties. The unexpected happens all the time. Because of this, life insurance is something that everyone should consider taking out. Below are the top five reasons that you should invest in life insurance:

1.In the event of your death, and sometimes disabilitating illnesses or conditions, your family will be covered. If you death would result in financial difficulties for loved ones, then it makes sense to have life insurance. As awful as the thought may be, dealing with your death will be difficult enough, without having to do death with financial troubles as well. Life insurance provides financial security for the loved ones that you leave behind.

2.The younger you are when you take out life insurance, the lower your premium will be. You're ensuring that your loved ones will benefit in the future, but are paying a lower cost for that peace of mind. You also are able to shop around for the best insurer when you take out a policy at a relative young age. Many insurers have exclusionary terms, which make it more difficult to take out, or more expensive, to take out as you age.

3.By taking out life insurance when you're younger, as opposed to when you're older, you're likely to be in better physical condition. This impacts on the price of the premium, and even if you can take out life insurance at all. A healthy, young, fit person is going to have a much lower premium than someone who is older, and not in peak physical condition.

4.You’re covered in the future, even if you develop an illness in later years that would exclude you from taking out the life insurance policy at that point. No one can predict exactly what will happen to them as they age. It’s certainly better to be covered prior to a major illness or condition presenting itself.

5.There are often tax benefits associated with life insurance payments. This means that you are obtaining two benefits from the one action – payments can either be tax free, or result in a tax deduction, and you ensure that your family is covered in the event of your death.

Of course, no one plans to die and leave their family in financial difficulty. But no one can predict exactly what the future will hold. A general rule is that if you are earning an income, once you have children you should take out a life insurance policy. This helps to protect their future in the event of your death.

It might not be a great substitute for having you in their life, but it does help to ensure that on top of the grief of dealing with your death, your family doesn’t also have to worry about where the next payment for shelter, food and basic necessities, is coming from.

Term Life Insurance FAQ

What is term life insurance?
Term life insurance is life insurance that only covers an individual for an agreed upon term. As with any other form of life insurance, the beneficiary of the policy receives the dividends when the insured passes away.

Why should I purchase life insurance?
Life insurance is meant to pay the expenses of the deceased. Those who will have outstanding debts, must continue a business, or take care of their family after they pass should purchase enough insurance to do so.

Why should I buy term life insurance?
Term life insurance is less expensive than permanent life insurance because the policy will expire. Some policy plans even allow the holder to collect previously paid premiums at the end of the term if no claim has been made.

How much coverage do I need?
The amount of coverage a person needs is based on a number of factors. Those looking to pay outstanding debt in order to protect their family should calculate all outstanding monies. The most common suggestion is to take your net income and multiply it by ten.

When calculating how much to leave behind for you family, consider outstanding medical bills and burial costs. Remember that most companies require you to demonstrate your financial needs. A larger policy also has higher rates.

Which term should I choose?
The available terms will be completely dependent on the insurance company. What term you choose will be up to you. Some people may want shorter terms, so that they can reevaluate their insurance needs as their lifestyle changes. Those who have a more stable situation can choose longer ones.

Consider your age, your spouse’s age, and the ages of your children while choosing a term. Long term responsibilities like a mortgage or putting a child through college may require longer terms.

Can I make my term life plan permanent? How?
A permanent life insurance plan covers the insured as long as premiums are paid and are much more complicated than term life plans. Some term life insurance plans can be converted into permanent ones, but the terms may change. Ask your insurer how to convert your plan.

What is the purpose of a medical exam?
Insurance companies often require a physical exam of those who are seeking insurance in order to make sure they do not have a preexisting condition or are in poor health. Those who are older and less physically fit may pay higher terms.

What does an agent or broker do?
An agent or broker is employed by the insurance company and assigned to individual policyholders. They advise you on the specifics of the contract and are the contact through which you and your family can file a claim.

Can I get my money back at the end of my policy?
Some term life insurance policies work this way, but some do not. Most will have the option to renew the policy for a new term. Carefully read all of the terms of the contract before agreeing to a policy.