Protecting your family is the single most important thing any individual can plan for during his or her life. Buying life insurance can be confusing, and a frustrating process. As an insurance agent, I am well aware of the details a customer must know to make the decision easier. In this article, I will offer practical advice on how to simply purchase life insurance.

Look for a company that has at least an AA-rating or above. Independent agencies such as Moody’s and Standard & Poors rate insurance companies on financial strength., there’s little or no difference in two companies with the same exact financial rating. You should feel comfortable with any company that has an AA or higher rating.

When it comes to pricing, don’t be fooled into thinking that insurance agents determine prices and that you can negotiate. Insurance companies set prices and they depend on age, gender, health, smoking status, family history, activities such as scuba diving, auto racing, foreign travel, etc. Insurance agents are not allowed to offer customers any pricing discounts or incentives. Insurance companies offer different versions of the same product. Often you will see what appears to be the same product, but at a lower price. Normally, the reason for this is that the lower priced policy offers a weaker guarantee where the policy is not guaranteed for the full period. For example, a 10 year policy that is only guaranteed for the first 5 years.

When choosing a policy there are important details to consider such as selecting the guarantee period, determining whether or not the policy is convertible and if re-entry is available. The guarantee period determines how long the premium remains at a level rate. Once the guarantee period is over, the premium will increase. It is important to determine how long you will need the coverage and choose accordingly. Guarantee periods range from 1 to 30 years.

Most, not all, insurance companies will offer the ability to convert your term policy into a permanent policy during a given period of time. During this period, if you choose to convert your policy, you are not required to prove medical insurability. You will only be required to pay the new premium at your older age. The period of time you have to convert may be the guarantee period or less. It is important to check the policy description or ask your agent to make sure.

Re-entry refers to the point at which you want to extend or purchase a new policy with the same company. It is important to know if you will be required to take a new medical exam or simply pay the new premium. All companies have different rules and you should understand them before you make your choice.
Another important consideration is choosing your beneficiary. It is normally an easy decision when it comes to your spouse or partner, but not if there are minor children in your family. Minor children named as a primary or secondary beneficiary must have a guardian/custodian appointed to handle and distributions of funds according to state laws.

Choosing a life insurance policy does not have to be a difficult process. It also does not have to be done alone. Today, you have the choice of working with a local agent or shopping online. Internet websites such as CompleteLifeQuote.com allow you to search hundreds of products and offer you the final decision as to which one to apply for. The companies work with you to process your application and send your policy once approved. Customers can expect to save money this way simply because they are able to choose for themselves instead of having an agent push his/her company’s products. I hope this article has shown you that making this important decision does not have to be a difficult process. Best of luck!

Mark F. Simmons

CFO, Complete Life Quote, Inc.

http://www.completelifequote.com

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Life insurance, whether you are talking about whole life, term life, or one of the many policy variations available, can be a complicated and misunderstood subject. Perhaps for this reason it is not unusual that we make wrong decisions when purchasing a life insurance policy. With that in mind, we would like to bring up what some experts consider to be the four most common mistakes made when purchasing life insurance.

First, treating your life insurance policy as a savings account. Insurance is often purchased for two reasons, tax savings and as an investment instrument. Many experts believe that life insurance is best purchased to do what it is intended to do, which is provide protection in the event of loss of life. For this reason we suggest, as do many insurance experts, purchasing a term policy for life insuance, and for savings purchasing a separate mutual fund account. Granted, this view is somewhat of a purist viewpoint and will not be for everybody. Still, term policies are relatively inexpensive, free of complexities, and payout quickly.

Second, allowing your agent to make all of the decisions. Do your homework and understand what you are buying. We urge you not to trust your agent too completely-regardless of how honest or well intentioned you believe him or her to be. Your agent may be a model of intelligence and integrity, but the ultimate responsibility for any decision made rests with you; don’t give someone else all the power.

Third, treating the purchase of life insurance as a one-time-purchase-and-forget-about-it-activity. Your needs will change over time. As your life circumstances change, so will your insurance needs. For example, the sort of policy you buy as a single individual will not provide adequate coverage should you decide to marry and start a family.

Fourth, buying the wrong kind of insurance. Yes, this is an all too common mistake. For example, many people buy universal or variable life insurance policies without properly understanding the kind of insurance they’ve bought and that these are complicated investment instruments. This sort of purchase might be completely wrong for a single person whose income would not allow premium payment in the event of unfavorable market fluctuations.

When buying life insurance, be sure to take the time to do your research. It isn’t necessary to spend sleepless nights in the library. However, it is important that you thoroughly understand your needs and which sort of life insurance will offer the best protection with respect to the demands of your life. There is a great deal of concern about finding the cheapest, or lowest cost life insurance. But one action you can take to insure you get the lowest premium price for your “life” is to put in the time to learn how to make an informed decision about the life insurance that will serve you best.

Evan C. Davis works in Medicare customer service and is the webmaster and owner of Value Life Insurance. Find out about cheap term life quotes online and low cost term life premiums at http://www.a2b-life-insurance.info

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