The Basics of Life Insurance
Life insurance policies are contracts between you and an insurer that provide your beneficiaries with a lump sum payment upon your death, acting as an important financial safety net to cover expenses like funeral costs, debt payments and everyday living costs. There are everdaylifeinsurance.com of life policies with their own advantages; to find one best suited to you it's wise to work with a financial professional – they can assist in setting goals, determining coverage amounts needed and present options which fit within your budget. When buying life insurance, it's important to think carefully about your coverage needs and premium costs, and select an individual or a set of beneficiaries who will receive any death benefit payments – you might also wish to include contingent beneficiaries should your primary choice pass before you do or should your preferences change at some point down the road. Dependent upon the type of life insurance you select, application processes may differ significantly. Some companies provide expedited underwriting whereby medical exams are skipped in favor of getting an immediate decision within days; other use a more traditional application and medical exam process which may take several months before receiving approval for coverage. Life insurance can be purchased either independently or through an agent, including your employer, group association or independent agency. When applying, an application should be filled out providing basic details on age, gender, health and lifestyle such as details about any dangerous hobbies or occupations you engage in; they will likely also request medical testing as well as blood samples from you for examination. Once approved for life insurance coverage, an underwriter will assess your level of risk and assign a premium amount – the greater your level of risk, the more costly will be your policy. Life insurance policies typically run for an agreed-upon duration – 10, 20 or 30 years is common – with death benefits fixed throughout that period; although some policies offer flexible option A or B death benefits that increase over time. Life insurance provides protection for your loved ones against financial loss, such as funeral and burial expenses, unpaid debts, mortgage payments or college tuition for your children. In addition, life insurance also can cover income replacement and any expenses that occur due to you or your partner passing away. Life insurance can be an economical way to ensure that your loved ones will be taken care of after your death, as well as being an invaluable tool in estate planning. Use life insurance to pay off debts, fund a trust, purchase property or finance your business – or access its cash value while alive; although doing so will reduce both death benefit and total cash surrender value amounts.