Making sure that your family is well protected in the event of your death is very important, so make sure that you buy the right kind of life insurance coverage. Before you buy a policy, do your research and find out how does burial insurance work. The advice in this article will help you on your way.
Disability insurance is a good idea, especially if you live paycheck to paycheck. It will pay you cash in the event that you are hurt, sick or can’t work for any other reason. Your medical insurance will pay your doctor bills, but they won’t cover your day to day living expenses.
Research your life insurance policy thoroughly before you sign on the dotted line. Make sure that you are aware of the exclusions, inclusions, discounts, no payment for death caused by a pre-existing disease clauses and other terms of your life insurance policy before committing to it. Without knowing exactly what your policy covers, when you die you could inadvertently leave family members left behind in a difficult position.
Although it may seem tempting, lying about your health, occupation or lifestyle in order to reduce your life insurance premium is extremely risky. Insurance companies investigate many claims, and, if they suspect that you gave them false information, your claim may be denied or your heirs may spend years in needless litigation. Whether you a smoker, a lumberjack or an extreme sports enthusiast, make sure your insurance company is aware of it.
When choosing life insurance policies, make sure you understand the difference between term and permanent life insurance. Term insurance is good for a set period – once it expires – the insured does not receive benefits. Permanent insurance, while more expensive, accumulates cash value and is guaranteed to stay in force, as long as the policy payments continue.
Try to get life insurance through a financial adviser, instead of a broker. The brokers make commissions off of life insurance policies, while financial advisers charge flat fees. The adviser will be more helpful with finding the best policies for their customer’s needs, while the broker will want to suggest policies that will provide them a higher commission. This isn’t every broker, but it could be if no good relationship is formed with them and the customers.
The cost of a life insurance policy will partly depend on a medical exam that you take. However, there is nothing stopping you from getting a medical checkup prior to shopping for a policy. You should definitely do so to see if there are any unexpected problems that you can resolve before you get life insurance. Also, try to get in better shape for that exam!
You should have your life insurance policy amended as things change in your life. Some examples of things that you may want to report to your life insurance company is if you have new children, an increase in the amount of debt that you have accumulated or if you have gotten a divorce. You can typically change information over the phone.
If you intend on getting life insurance in the future, start planning for it, now. Take steps to improve your health, such as, quitting smoking. You can begin a fitness routine and try to reach your optimal weight. Have all the recommended health screening tests for someone of your age and gender. Work on getting your cholesterol and blood pressure to acceptable levels. Not only will you look and feel better, you’ll save a bundle on your life insurance policy.
When purchasing a life insurance policy, a great tip is to not make your insurance planning a complicated matter. You should aim to keep it as simple as possible. Since life insurance is meant to protect you, the policy you select should be the one that best fits your needs.
Even after you’ve found a policy that you feel you love, you should still make sure to compare multiple policies to see if you can find a better deal on any other life insurance package. You never know; you might find the same package for 20% less per month. That would be a huge difference in the long-term.
Sometimes people with life insurance (whole-life, not term) feel like updating or changing their policies after a few years, especially when a company introduces a better policy. This is why it’s important to think first before getting into a commitment, because changing now could cost you your premium payments and policy. So you should avoid this.
To obtain your life insurance policy in the quickest and easiest manner, first decide the way in which you are going to purchase your policy. There are several different options, such as purchasing directly from the insurance company, or going through a financial planner or insurance agent. Deciding beforehand will save you time.
Buy your life insurance when you are relatively young and healthy. If you are older, and you’ve had health problems, you will have a harder time getting approved, and you will pay a much higher premium. So don’t wait to get your policies when you are older and think you’ll be able to afford it.
Being healthy will cause your life insurance rate to drop. You cannot foresee every medical issue you are going to run into, but you can definitely adopt healthier habits. You should stop smoking and drinking, as well as eat healthier food and perhaps go on a special diet if you have high cholesterol or a similar issue.
Burial Insurance
When choosing life insurance, you may also wish to look into purchasing burial insurance. This is fairly cheap insurance and will cover things such as your casket, funeral home costs, transportation and other such things. This is well worth it as the costs for these items can be extraordinary, if they come from out of pocket.
Buying life insurance may seem intimidating at first, but if you know what you’re doing, it can be much easier. Don’t let the complexities of the insurance market confuse you so that you end up buying a policy that doesn’t meet your needs. Just remember what you’ve learned in this article, and you’ll be able to protect your family.