Life Insurance
Life insurance is a simple answer to a very difficult question: How will my family manage financially when I die?
It’s a subject no one really wants to think about. But if someone depends on you financially, it’s one you cannot avoid. In the event of a tragedy, life insurance proceeds can:
At first glance, buying insurance can seem so overwhelming that you may be tempted to skip it altogether. This section clearly defines the different ways to gain coverage and provides you with the best possible purchasing options based on your situation and needs.Most people buy life insurance through agents or other financial advisors, and for good reason. Buying life insurance can seem so overwhelming that you may be tempted to skip it. Don’t! Here are the different ways to get coverage so you can choose the best option based on your situation and needs.
Determining how much and what kind of insurance to buy is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make, but it can also be complicated. A qualified insurance professional will conduct a comprehensive financial needs analysis, and walk you through the multitude of questions you need to consider to determine how much and what kind of insurance is right for you, given your budget. And what many people don’t realize is that when you sit down with an agent to discuss life insurance, the consultation is free.
Of course, the quality of advice you get is dependent on how good your agent is. Here are five tips to help you choose the right agent.
1. Get referrals
2. Find out about their specialities
3. Inquire about their education and training
4. Meet face-to-face
5. Ask if they hold a professional membership At the workplace Obtaining life insurance through your employer is another option. Many employers provide, at their own expense, a basic life insurance benefit, often equal to one to two times your base salary. While this is a nice benefit to have, insurance experts believe that most people need somewhere in the range of 10 to 20 times their net income and sometimes even more than that.
Check to see if your employer offers you the option to purchase additional coverage through its group plan. Many employers do. To qualify, you may have to answer a few basic questions about your health. It’s important to keep in mind that if you have group coverage and you leave your job, you generally are not able to take the coverage with you.
If your employer does not provide group life insurance coverage, it may make a life insurance benefit available to you on a voluntary, employee-paid basis. While you pay the full cost of the benefits under a voluntary arrangement, there are several advantages to buying insurance this way. Voluntary plans help workers get coverage more easily than if they were to purchase an individual policy on their own outside of the workplace. Premiums are typically paid through an automatic payroll deduction and can be as much as 10% to 20% less because of efficiencies in enrollment and billing procedures. Additionally, you may be eligible for more coverage under a voluntary plan than is offered by a traditional group plan.
Internet, mail & phoneIn many ways, the Internet has transformed the way life insurance is bought, as you can get quotes, apply for and even purchase policies with a few clicks. Even still, many sites won’t allow you to buy a policy until you’ve spoken with a qualified insurance professional who can make sure the policy you’ve chosen is exactly what you need. It’s helpful to understand how these sites work.
Some may have contractual relationships with a number of agencies and will negotiate with the company that offers the best product for your specific needs, much like a brokerage agency. Other sites function like marketplaces, promoting the products of a large number of companies by using the data you enter to link you with a company that has a relevant product match for you.
When you buy online, by mail or by phone, it’s generally your responsibility to figure out which product best fits your needs, so it never hurts to follow up with an agent in your community who can asses whether the rates are fair and the policy is a good match. Even if you ultimately buy online, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ve covered all your bases.
Find a CompanyThere are more than a thousand companies that offer various types of insurance products, so finding the right one can be a bit overwhelming. Let us help. Look through our Tips for Choosing a Company page to help you understand the ins and outs. You may want to consider going with one of the hundred-plus companies that helps support the LIFE Foundation, all of whom share our commitment to ensure you have the knowledge you need to make informed insurance-buying decisions.
It’s a subject no one really wants to think about. But if someone depends on you financially, it’s one you cannot avoid. In the event of a tragedy, life insurance proceeds can:
- Pay for funeral costs
- Help pay the bills and meet ongoing living expenses
- Pay off outstanding debt, including credit cards and the mortgage
- Continue a family business
- Finance future needs like your children’s education
- Protect a spouse’s retirement plans
At first glance, buying insurance can seem so overwhelming that you may be tempted to skip it altogether. This section clearly defines the different ways to gain coverage and provides you with the best possible purchasing options based on your situation and needs.Most people buy life insurance through agents or other financial advisors, and for good reason. Buying life insurance can seem so overwhelming that you may be tempted to skip it. Don’t! Here are the different ways to get coverage so you can choose the best option based on your situation and needs.
Determining how much and what kind of insurance to buy is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll make, but it can also be complicated. A qualified insurance professional will conduct a comprehensive financial needs analysis, and walk you through the multitude of questions you need to consider to determine how much and what kind of insurance is right for you, given your budget. And what many people don’t realize is that when you sit down with an agent to discuss life insurance, the consultation is free.
Of course, the quality of advice you get is dependent on how good your agent is. Here are five tips to help you choose the right agent.
1. Get referrals
2. Find out about their specialities
3. Inquire about their education and training
4. Meet face-to-face
5. Ask if they hold a professional membership At the workplace Obtaining life insurance through your employer is another option. Many employers provide, at their own expense, a basic life insurance benefit, often equal to one to two times your base salary. While this is a nice benefit to have, insurance experts believe that most people need somewhere in the range of 10 to 20 times their net income and sometimes even more than that.
Check to see if your employer offers you the option to purchase additional coverage through its group plan. Many employers do. To qualify, you may have to answer a few basic questions about your health. It’s important to keep in mind that if you have group coverage and you leave your job, you generally are not able to take the coverage with you.
If your employer does not provide group life insurance coverage, it may make a life insurance benefit available to you on a voluntary, employee-paid basis. While you pay the full cost of the benefits under a voluntary arrangement, there are several advantages to buying insurance this way. Voluntary plans help workers get coverage more easily than if they were to purchase an individual policy on their own outside of the workplace. Premiums are typically paid through an automatic payroll deduction and can be as much as 10% to 20% less because of efficiencies in enrollment and billing procedures. Additionally, you may be eligible for more coverage under a voluntary plan than is offered by a traditional group plan.
Internet, mail & phoneIn many ways, the Internet has transformed the way life insurance is bought, as you can get quotes, apply for and even purchase policies with a few clicks. Even still, many sites won’t allow you to buy a policy until you’ve spoken with a qualified insurance professional who can make sure the policy you’ve chosen is exactly what you need. It’s helpful to understand how these sites work.
Some may have contractual relationships with a number of agencies and will negotiate with the company that offers the best product for your specific needs, much like a brokerage agency. Other sites function like marketplaces, promoting the products of a large number of companies by using the data you enter to link you with a company that has a relevant product match for you.
When you buy online, by mail or by phone, it’s generally your responsibility to figure out which product best fits your needs, so it never hurts to follow up with an agent in your community who can asses whether the rates are fair and the policy is a good match. Even if you ultimately buy online, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ve covered all your bases.
Find a CompanyThere are more than a thousand companies that offer various types of insurance products, so finding the right one can be a bit overwhelming. Let us help. Look through our Tips for Choosing a Company page to help you understand the ins and outs. You may want to consider going with one of the hundred-plus companies that helps support the LIFE Foundation, all of whom share our commitment to ensure you have the knowledge you need to make informed insurance-buying decisions.
