Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Whole Life Vs. Term Life

Deciding between whole life vs. term life insurance can often be a difficult choice when creating a protection plan for your family. Term life insurance provides protection at a fixed amount of payment during a predetermined amount of time (the term). Afterward, the policy expires and payments are no longer guaranteed. Whole life insurance combines a term component with an investment component that can be borrowed against.

For most, term life insurance is a building block of comfort and peace of mind . Whole life insurance  can sometimes be costlier but add up in value over time.  Life insurance allows the family members that are left behind to sustain their means in the event of death. It is especially important to families where there is only one income. If the head of household should pass on, the benefit from that coverage could be vital. Beneficiaries often use the term or whole life insurance payout to handle the deceased individual’s final expenses or to set-up a college fund for their children.


Many people who look into purchasing life insurance will consider term life insurance vs. whole life insurance.  Term vs. whole life insurance is set for a certain term. Most companies offer terms of 10, 20, or 30 years. While the policy is in force, if the insured dies, the listed beneficiary or beneficiaries will be paid the policy’s value. At the end of the 10-year term or other specified term, the policy will expire. At this point, there is the option of renewal or looking at getting a whole life plan. Unfortunately, many that are term life policyholders find that their policies have reached their term’s end.

Whole policy owners have to be diligent in knowing their policies, also.  Often, their policies lapse due to cash values that are insufficient. There are some common misconceptions when it comes to whole life insurance.  These policies do have cash value, but policy owners often think that value is not significant when it comes to the actual components of the policy itself. In reality, the cash value piece is a necessity in order to supplement the policy owner’s premium installments in future years. If the owner takes the value out to spend for whatever use, neglects to replace it, they will need to provide more funds in order to keep the policy in force. Cash value is a nice benefit to these particular policies, but it should not weigh very heavily when you are considering what policy to buy.

To be honest, the choice is totally up to you as to whether you should buy whole life vs. term life.  The most important factor is to make sure that whatever policy you choose policy stays current and active. Any life insurance policy will pay its benefits to the surviving named beneficiary should the insured die. The two standard types of life insurance, term and whole, will each provide for your loved ones if the policy is active at the time of passing. It is definitely one of the most significant coverage options an individual can have to protect their family. Always remember that you have others relying on you even after you are no longer here.  The sudden loss of that income provider can mean a significant change in lifestyle for those that were being supported.  Be proactive; decide which type of policy is right for you and them.

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