When it comes to planning for your future, a big decision that is very often overlooked is life insurance coverage. The purpose of life insurance is to cover the financial burdens and expenditures and replace the income of the main wage earner in the event of an untimely death.
Many families in the United States do not have an adequate amount of life insurance and many do not have life insurance at all. The amount of coverage needed for a family is dependent upon the household living expenses as well as future planning expenses such as college or paying off one’s mortgage. Financial experts say that life insurance coverage should be enough to cover expenses for 7-10 years with college and estate planning adding even more to the amount.
There are two basic types of life insurance – term life policies and permanent life policies. It is important to know the difference between the two when looking to buy life insurance. Sometimes it is advised, depending upon the circumstances, to get a combination of both types.
Term insurance policies are for life coverage only. In the event of death of the insured, term insurance will pay the face amount of the policy to the named beneficiary. Term life insurance can be bought for periods of one year to thirty years.
Whole life insurance combines a term policy with an investment component such as bonds, money-market instruments or stocks. The policy then builds up a “cash-value” that you can actually borrow against. There are three different types of whole life insurance – traditional whole life, universal, and variable.
Of the two basic types of life insurance – term or whole life – whole life insurance is by far the most expensive. That is because you pay for the insurance as well as the investment portion. Although it may be said that the extra cost is worth it because you are saving or investing money, they usually are not worth the high premiums and the coverage is not near as much as you would get for the same amount of money with term insurance.
Term insurance is the best type of insurance for most people. With term insurance you do not have to pay higher premiums for investment costs but strictly pay premiums for life insurance coverage.
If you are looking to purchase life insurance it is best to find a reputable insurance agent that you can talk to about your specific circumstances and needs. Together you can decide what type life insurance is best for you.
If you are looking for a quality Florida Insurance Agency, Fiesta Insurance offers the best service around. We help our clients understand exactly what type of insurance coverages are best and which ones are more suitable for them. Call our South Florida Insurance Agency today. Fiesta Insurance is happy to help you with all of your insurance needs.