Differences Between Term Life Insurance And Whole Life Insurance

There are many types and variations of life insurance policies. Mostly they have are term insurance or whole life insurance or sometimes a combination of the both.

When you have opted for the universal life insurance, you can adjust the premium and the policy to any extend you think you need.

On the other hand, a person who wants control over the financial and investment aspects of their insurance policy should choose variable life insurance.

So what’s a term life insurance policy?

A term life policy provides protection for a predetermined period of time, such as 5, 10 or 20 years. At the end of this time the policy expires – the death benefit is only paid while the policy is in effect. A term policy doesn’t accumulate any cash value. Term life insurance has been described as “insurance that is actually designed to expire before you do.”

The premiums on term life policies start out low but can increase substantially as your age increases. This makes term life the best type of policy to purchase when you’re young and the term of the policy is long. Although the shorter term renewable policies would be less expensive in the beginning, the premiums start to increase significantly after middle age.

Below is an example of premium costs on an annual renewable term insurance policy. The policy in the example has a $200,000 death benefit, and the annual premiums are by age. Remember that these are only examples, to help illustrate how rates can change with age.

Age 35: $300/year

$900 / year age 50

Age 65: $2,500/year

Now we shall see what is a Whole Life Insurance Policy.

Whole life is the most common type of life insurance. The policy remains in effect until you die or reach age 100, assuming you pay the scheduled premium. Whole life insurance is also known as ‘ordinary life’ or ‘permanent’ insurance. They feature level premiums, level face amounts, guaranteed values, and a high degree of safety. Whole life insurance has a guaranteed cash value, through which a living benefit is built. Because of this, the owner can access the cash for emergencies, or use it as a supplement to retirement income if necessary.

The most important benefit for the whole life insurance policy is that it includes the advantages of both savings and insurance. When there is a long term financial planning then, whole life insurances are the best option. There is also another benefit from the policy .That is the level premiums. This kind of policy will give you the peace of mind, so as not to get worried about the premium rates going up.

There are different risks involved for companies which provide whole life insurance policies and those which offer auto policies, for example. With an auto policy the insurance company hopes the policyholder will be a safe driver and never be in an accident. On the other hand, when an insurance company issues a whole life policy it knows it will someday have to pay the claim.

The internet has made researching and comparing different life insurance companies very easy. By doing your research online, you can ensure that you have the best policy at the best premium to meet your needs. It’s also a good idea to see how the companies you’re researching are rated with the Better Business Bureau. Also be sure to check each company’s financial stability before you sign up for a policy. If you work to get all the information you need before buying, it will be very easy to get the best possible life insurance policy online.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.