If you have a spouse and children and are the main income earner of the family, you do not want to leave them in a position of hardship should anything happen to you. Yet without considering the purchase of a life insurance policy, this is a situation that could become a reality. Here are some things you need to know.
When creating a divorce settlement that requires one parent to maintain life insurance in order to keep custody of children, create the insurance policy before signing the divorce settlement. This speeds up the settlement process and insures that any kinks in the making of the insurance policy are dealt with before the custody issues.
When shopping for a life insurance policy, it is often best to stick with large companies that have a stellar reputation. Skimping on your insurance by buying a bare-bones policy from some fly-by-night firm won’t protect your family much if they fold or turn out to be a scam.
Although term life insurance covers you for only a specified period of time, it does have some benefits that may make it the right choice for you. Term life insurance is vastly cheaper than whole life insurance, costing hundreds of dollars a year rather than thousands. It is flexible in that you can choose to be covered for as few as 5 or as many as 30 years with coverage ranging from $100,000 to millions. For short term needs, such as children graduating from college or a mortgage being paid off, term life insurance is ideal, especially if whole life insurance is not in your budget.
One of the most important factors when deciding on a life insurance policy is choosing which company to get it from. There are various companies that offer life insurance and some offer policies at significant discounts compared to others. However, not all companies are financially stable enough to reliably pay off future claims on your insurance. These companies generally have lower credit ratings. Although getting a good deal for your money is important, it is far more important to choose a company with a high credit rating as they are more likely to be around to fulfill their responsibilities.
Don’t waste time with the “guaranteed issue” insurance policies if it is possible. Guaranteed issue policies are intended for individuals with preexisting health concerns. You won’t have to have an exam, but the premiums will be much higher and the coverage will only be available in limited amounts.
Your insurance agent may try to sell you additional riders to add to your life insurance policy. However, these are often unnecessary, so make sure you fully understand the purpose of each one before deciding if it would benefit you. For example, a family benefit rider allows for your death benefit to be paid in monthly increments rather than one lump sum, so your family receives a steady source of income.
Using the advice above, you should now be a little wiser as to whether buying a life insurance policy would be beneficial to you and your family. While it may have a monthly cost that seems like an extra burden, is the financial burden your family would face without you not just as much, if not more?