
As you probably are familiar, life insurance provides protection against financial loss and liability that may result when a person dies. A life insurance is a contract that is made between the insurance company and the insurance policy owner. Through this contract, the insurance company promises to pay your designated beneficiary a specific amount of money when you die. In exchange for this amount, you will pay timely premiums due either monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. A life policy ensures that the beneficiaries do not suffer financial tragedies after the death of the insured holder.
There exists two different kinds of life insurance: term life insurance or cash value life insurance. Some policies are a combination of both. A term life insurance policy requires the insurance company to pay a sum to the beneficiary when the policy holder dies during the coverage period. On the other hand, a cash value life insurance policy offers a number of benefits and features to add to the death benefit provided by a term policy. A cash value life adds a cash value component of the debatable benefit, which can grows over the life of the policy. This allows the policy holder to withdraw, borrow or invest the money, and this will be against the cash value life policy. This added benefit makes cash value life a little more costly than term life.
Most financial experts advice getting term life insurance in almost all situations. Although you can have additional benefits with cash value life, it seems that you may have to overpay for what you will get in return. The most important question is how much life insurance coverage to get.
The amount of coverage will greatly depend a whole deal to your financial capability, the number of beneficiaries you need to support, and the number of years and amount of financial support they need. You can approximate this to about six to eight times that of your annual gross salary. Of course, this may or may not be enough depending on individual circumstances. The best way to find out is to check the situation of your dependents, and know the extent of their dependency.
In terms of premiums, insurance companies charge depending on your circumstances. They operate on four risk groups: the preferred group, the standard, substandard and the uninsurable group. The premiums charged will differ depending on which category you are placed in. If you have a job or a hobby that involves high risks or if you have some form of chronic illness, you may be considered substandard. If you have heart problems or diabetes, you may have to pay higher insurance premiums.
To protect your loved ones, it is best to choose the right insurance company who will provide you the best terms and coverage. Understanding the basics of life insurance may be a confusing subject, but getting in touch with a qualified agent will help you decide on what it best. Make sure that your insurance company and agent is duly licensed by the state of Virginia.