“I am a 35 years old male. Most of my acquaintances has invested substantial amount in life insurance policies. I would like to know what exactly a life insurance policy is and what I can gain out of it.”
A life insurance policy is nothing but a contract between the insurer and the policy holder whereby the insurer promises to pay a specific sum to the beneficiary of the policy on the occurrence of the insured event provided the policyholder keeps it running by regular payment of premium.
A policy is extremely useful especially if you are the sole earner of your family. If you unfortunately die, your family can maintain their financial security because of the amount of money that they will receive from the coverage that you have purchased. The primary goal of a life insurance policy is the financial protection of the family by replacing the income lost because of the death of the policy holder.
“I am still a bachelor and do not have a family of my own. My parents are still working and my siblings have their own families. Do I still need to have a policy?”
No, if you do not have a family or anybody else depended on your income, you do not need the coverage right now; but the question is; are you planning to remain single all your life? If yes, you can indeed do without such policies; but if you plan to have a family later in life, you should get one now. That is because, policy prices increases with age and so it is always better to buy them early in life, while you are still young and healthy.
Even if you do not have a family of your own, you can choose anybody as your designated beneficiaries. You can choose your elderly parents as your beneficiaries or any of your nieces and nephews. Some people even designate their employees or business partners as their beneficiaries. Other people are eccentric enough to name their pets as their beneficiaries. Charitable institutions can also be named as beneficiaries of life insurance policies.
“You are saying that there can be different types of policies; can you elaborate?”
There are indeed as many types of policies as the underwriters can conceive. However, all of them fall under two broad categories - the temporary policies sold for stipulated years and permanent policies valid for the life of the insured. The term insurance falls under the first category. Generally it is sold for 1/5/10/15/20/25/30. The problem with such policy is that, although thirty years is long enough time, it can still expire before you have been able to settle all your liabilities.
Among the permanent policies, the universal life insurance is the most popular type. The advantage of such policies is that it insures one for life and so whenever the insured dies, the beneficiaries are sure to get the benefit. What is more, these policies use part of the premium you pay to accrue cash value and so in a way it also help you to build your asset.
“How does one purchase a life insurance policy?”
The first step is to receive quotes. Today you can receive life insurance quote on line. In such a case you just need visit an online broker and fill up a quote form. Quotes from different carriers will appear as soon as you hit the submit button. You are then required to choose and apply. The application process is of course rather long. You are required to answer a lot of questions about your age, healthy, body mass index, family background, medical history etc. On top of that you will also be required to appear for a paramedical test.
Indeed, for those who are unwilling to appear for these tests, there is the term life insurance no medical exam. Under these policies, you are required to answer some health related questions and the coverage is based on that. The carriers too check on you by running you through Medical Bank and other agency reports. Therefore, the coverage is not guaranteed. Although these policies cost a little more, many choose them for their instant and hassle free purchase procedure.
Whatever policy you buy, the premium will always depend on your age and health condition at the time of policy purchase. That is why even if you marry late, you should buy the policy as soon as possible.
Article by David Livingston of EQuote, who is a specialist in everything life insurance. For more information on term life and instant term life insurance quotes, visit his site today.