Life, however, often has different plans. Just when you think you’re safe, the unthinkable can happen and leave your family high and dry. Read this article to learn more about different kinds of life insurance and how they may pertain to your situation. You will be able to rest easy knowing that your family is secure.
When creating a divorce settlement that requires one parent to maintain life insurance in order to keep custody of children, create the insurance policy before signing the divorce settlement. This speeds up the settlement process and insures that any kinks in the making of the insurance policy are dealt with before the custody issues.
If you are considering purchasing life insurance you may want to look into possible coverage that is already offered by your employer. It’s common for employers to offer basic life insurance plans at good rates for their employees. You should make sure that the coverage is adaquate for your needs and purchase supplemental policies if additional coverage is desired.
To save some money consider switching to annual life insurance premiums instead of monthly life insurance premiums. Some life insurance providers will charge you extra fees if you pay for your premiums monthly, so, if possible, pay your annual premiums in one lump sum at the beginning of each year.
Get yourself a policy that has a “conversion to permanent” clause. This refers to the fact that at any time, the policy holder can switch their term insurance into permanent insurance without further medical exams. While this may not save money at first, it will eventually save money if you start suffering from poor from health problems before the policy runs out.
If a relative of yours recently died and named you as the beneficiary on his life insurance policy, but the policy itself is missing, there are steps you can take to locate the policy, even if you don’t know which insurance company issued it. Examine the deceased’s canceled checks for any that were written to insurance companies. Look through any mail you can find for insurance bills or policy status notices. Check with former employers or organizations that the deceased belonged to which may have offered the policy. Look at tax returns for expenses or interest earned in regard to life insurance. Finally, check with the Medical Information Bureau, which has a database that can inform you if the medical records of the deceased were requested by any insurance companies since 1996.
Purchasing your funeral plot in advance of your death will help your family save money once you’re gone. Unfortunately, spur-of-the-moment plot purchases bring out the unscrupulous nature of some in the funeral industry, and a plot after death can cost a lot more than a plot purchased well in advance.
Establish an exercise program before you purchase life insurance. The better health you are in, the lower your risk class will be. If your weight is within reasonable limits, you do not smoke and your blood pressure is not too high, you could save a substantial amount of money over the course of your policy.
Renew your whole life insurance policy every year. Many companies automatically renew policies yearly, but you need to verify the specifics with your own insurance company. A lapse in policy coverage will drive up your insurance rates, and will not pay in the unlikely event that something should happen to you.
Research the company you’re considering buying an insurance policy from to check out their financial stability. Your insurance company must have a rating that is graded as an A or higher by the independent agents.
You should know that if you have a risky jobs or a dangerous hobby, your life insurance premiums will go up. If you have a hazardous occupation, you can choose to wait until you retire to apply for life insurance and pay less. Consider abandoning a dangerous hobby if your life insurance is your priority.
If you do not have life insurance and do not belong to any group to could provide a life insurance for you, look into your state’s high-risk pool. A high-risk pool refers to a category of people considered as not insurable by most companies because of their demographics or occupation.
If you are receiving a life insurance as a benefit of your job, be careful who the beneficiaries of this insurance are. You have the right to choose for yourself the beneficiaries of your insurance, even if your employer is paying for it. You should be very wary if your employer names himself as a beneficiary.
When it comes to the decision to take out a life insurance policy, it’s better to be safe than sorry. By following the advice provided here, you can prevent your loved ones from future heartache.
