How is Term Life Insurance Like Wetting The Bed?

You may not have thought of the comparison, but it’s accurate. Term life insurance is like wetting the bed because it provides immediate relief, but sooner or later you are going to have to get up and do something about it.

Because term life insurance is pure protection, providing only a death benefit, it is like renting the coverage for as long as the policy lasts or as long as you pay the premium. If you die during that time, the policy will pay its death benefit.

However, as you get older you see that while the original reason you bought the policy has gone away, it has invariably been replaced by another reason, usually one with an even higher price tag and even more dire consequences if you do not have the cash to satisfy it.

There are lots of different bells and whistles insurance companies add to make their term insurance policies salable.

For example, some have premiums that are level from the day you buy it until the end of the term. Since every year the actuarial cost of protection increases, the real corresponding costs your payments would rise each year, compared to the levelizeded premium term life insurance policy.

When your premiums rise according to the actual actuarial costs, if there was any chance that you could be convinced that you no longer needed the insurance, you would drop it in a heartbeat and the insurance company would not make as much money – because the early year premiums are lower than the later year premiums.

There is a “guaranteed renewable” feature in most term insurance policies – before or at the end of the initial term. Insurance companies have been selling insurance to people for a long time, and they know that your needs for insurance will last for as long as you live, and they want you to keep paying for insurance far beyond that initial term period.

The renewable feature’s primary benefit to you is that you don’t have to pass another physical to show that you are still “insurable” in order to keep the term insurance policy in force for longer that originally intended. In every term life insurance policy I’ve seen, each time you renew, the premiums will be higher for the next period of years than the last – because you are older and, therefore, more likely to die.

Another feature, convertibility, is usually part of the policy as well. In my opinion the convertibility feature is vital and something you should clearly understand in order to make sure the policy is as flexible as you will want it to be.

Convertibility is a feature that could be critically important to you. It allows you to exchange this policy for another type of life insurance at any time before the expiration of the policy’s term. By purchasing a convertible term life insurance policy you remain in control, the policy can be converted to a permanent type of coverage at a later time, and importantly – without having to prove that you are still insurable.

Here’s where my wetting the bed analogy comes in. Generally people choose term insurance for protection when they need it as a permanent solution for a temporary obligation, such as mortgage protection, bank loans and security required by a vendor, or perhaps as income replacement when their children are young. These are times when the requirements for immediate cash protection to meet your commitments is paramount if you were to die – and term insurance may only possible solution that provides the amount of coverage you need at a premium you can afford.

Over time the original loans get repaid – so you borrow more, kids grow into teenagers – now it’s their college education you want to assure. And as retirement nears – money is still going to be needed by the survivors, to meet expenses, pay taxes, etc.

In other words, term life insurance is a permanent solution for a temporary obligation. And it is a temporary solution for a permanent need.

The question most people ask is, in order to work out the right type of insurance for their specific situation – where can I get both the advice and input I need and the cost effective solution to the challenge of finding the right policy for me right now?

In my opinion, the right answer to that is one that makes the most sense both for you and your family but your business as well.

It’s finding an insurance agent who has spent a lifetime helping people like you. He or she will have insights and experiences to share that you can benefit from.

Remember, when you buy life insurance, commissions will be paid to someone – an online service, a web only company, or a flesh and blood agent. There is nothing you or I can do about that.

So, why not get your money’s worth by using the help of a trained professional you trust who has to look you in the eyes for as long as you all shall live?

Farm Insurance Agents

Categories

Recent Posts

Archives