Term Life Insurance – Meaning, Types & Benefits

Term Life Insurance – Meaning, Types & Benefits

 

What Is Term Life Insurance and How Does It Work?

Definition;

Term life insurance, also known as pure life insurance, is a type of life insurance that guarantees the payment of a stated death benefit if the insured person dies within a certain time period.

 

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When the term life insurance policy’s term expires, the policyholder has the option of renewing it for another term, converting the policy to permanent coverage, or allowing the policy to lapse.

NOTE

• If the insured person dies during a specified term, term life insurance guarantees payment of a stated death benefit to the insured’s beneficiaries.
• These policies have no value other than the guaranteed death benefit and do not include any savings features like whole life insurance.
• Premiums for term life insurance are determined by a person’s age, health, and life expectancy.
• It may be possible to convert term life insurance to whole life insurance, depending on the insurance company.
• Term life insurance policies that last 10, 15, or 20 years are commonly available.

How Does It Work?

The premiums for term life insurance are calculated by the insurance company based on the policy’s value (the payment amount) as well as your age, gender, and health. A medical examination may be required in specific instances. Your driving record, current medications, smoking status, career, hobbies, and family history may all be questioned by the insurance provider.

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If you die within the policy’s term, the insurer will pay your beneficiaries the face value of the policy. Beneficiaries may utilize this cash benefit, which is usually not taxable, to pay for medical and funeral expenses, consumer debt, or mortgage debt, among other things. 2 There is no reimbursement if the policy expires before your death. You may be able to renew a term policy after it expires, but your rates will be recalculated based on your age.

Term Life Insurance – Meaning Types & Benefits

Aside from the guaranteed death reward, term life insurance has little value. There are no savings features like there are with a whole life insurance policy.

Because it only pays out for a limited period of time and only provides a death benefit, term life insurance is usually the most affordable option. For example, a healthy 35-year-old nonsmoker may often get a $250,000 face value 20-year level-premium coverage for $20 to $30 per month.

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Purchasing a whole life equivalent would have substantially higher premiums, maybe $200 to $300 per month or more, depending on the provider. The overall risk to the insurer is smaller than that of a permanent life policy because most term life insurance policies expire before paying a death benefit. As a result of the lower risk, insurers can pass on cost savings to clients in the form of cheaper premiums.

Premiums are also affected by interest rates, the financial health of the insurance firm, and state legislation. Companies typically provide better rates at “breakpoint” coverage levels of $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000.

Term life insurance is the least expensive option for life insurance when you examine the quantity of coverage you can get for your premium dollars. When you’re ready to buy, look over our suggestions for the best term life insurance products.

 Example

Thirty-year-old George wishes to safeguard his family in the improbable event that he dies young. He purchases a $500,000 10-year term life insurance policy at a monthly cost of $50. If George dies within the first ten years of the policy, the beneficiary will receive $500,000. His beneficiary will not receive any benefit if he dies after he turns 40 and the coverage has expired. If he renews the policy, the premiums will be higher than before since they will be calculated using his age of 40 rather than his age of 30.

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If George is diagnosed with a terminal illness within the first policy term, he will most likely be unable to renew the insurance once it has expired. Some policies provide assured re-insurability (without requiring proof of insurability), however, these characteristics tend to increase the policy’s cost.

 

TYPES OF TERM LIFE INSURANCE.

There are numerous forms of term life insurance, and the best one for you will be determined by your unique circumstances.

1. Level Term, or Level-Premium, Policies

These provide coverage for a set period of time, usually between 10 and 30 years. The death benefit, as well as the premium, are both fixed. The premium is considerably greater than yearly renewable term life insurance because actuaries must account for increasing insurance costs over the policy’s effective life.

2. Policies with a yearly renewable term (YRT)

Yearly renewable term (YRT) policies have no set term and can be renewed year after year without the need to provide proof of insurability. Rates vary from year to year, and premiums rise as the covered person grows older. Despite the fact that there is no set term, premiums can become prohibitively expensive as people get older, making the coverage undesirable to many.

 

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3. Reduced Term Policies

The death benefit on these policies decreases each year, following to a predetermined schedule. For the length of the insurance, the policyholder pays a constant, level premium. Decreasing term policies are frequently used in conjunction with a mortgage to match coverage to the house loan’s lowering principle.

Once you’ve decided on the policy that’s perfect for you, do your homework on the companies you’re considering to ensure you obtain the finest term life insurance possible.

Term Life Insurance Advantages

Young people with children find term life insurance appealing. For a relatively low cost, parents may get a lot of coverage. When a parent passes away, the substantial benefit might help to replace lost income.

These policies are also ideal for persons who only require a little quantity of life insurance for a short period of time. For instance, the policyholder may determine that by the time the policy expires, their survivors will no longer require additional financial protection or will have amassed sufficient liquid assets to self-insure.

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