Universal Life Insurance Policy - A Different Choice
By Elizabeth Newberry

Choosing a life insurance policy isn’t an easy task. There are several policies to choose from, each with elements that we want and need. The two most popular kinds of life insurance policies are term life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies.

If a term life insurance policy and a whole life insurance policy got married and had a child, the child would be a universal life insurance policy. Universal life insurance policies are a mix of term life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies. Just like all children do, universal life insurance policies have a few positive features and a few negative features of each parent, i.e., the term life insurance policy and the whole life insurance policy.

Like a whole life insurance policy, a universal life insurance policy offers an investment component; however, universal life insurance policies are generally less expensive than whole life insurance policies. This is a good thing for those of us who want the cash value accruement of a whole life policy but can not afford to purchase one. It should be noted, however, that earning a cash value isn’t guaranteed. Coverage can even end if your account gets low enough.

Like a term life insurance policy, a universal life insurance policy is usually not as expensive as a whole life insurance policy. However, even though an accumulation of cash value isn’t guaranteed with a universal life insurance policy, it is possible; it is not possible with a term life insurance policy.

Whether you’re simply considering purchasing a life insurance policy, or have already made the decision to purchase a life insurance policy, it’s important to know the difference between a term life insurance policy and a whole life insurance policy. Knowing these differences will help you choose the best life insurance policy for you.

The most recognizable difference between term life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies is the fact that a term life insurance policy will cover you for a certain number of years, whereas a whole life insurance policy will cover you for your entire life. If you’re only looking for life insurance coverage for a specific amount of time, a term life insurance is probably your best bet. However, if you wish to be insured for the rest of your life, you should purchase a whole life insurance policy.

Another difference between term life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies is that whole life insurance policies offer a tax-deferred accumulated cash value. This acts as an investment component. Some people are interested in the ability to invest using their life insurance policies, so they choose to purchase a whole life insurance policy. However, if you use other methods of investment, a term life insurance policy is probably the best for you.

30 Year Term Life Insurance -- Worth Taking a Look?
By Elizabeth Newberry

We all know that one of the perks of purchasing a term life insurance policy, aside from the fact that it is usually cheaper than purchasing a whole life insurance policy, is that we can choose how long we want the term life insurance policy to be in effect. We get to choose when the term life insurance policy expires, and generally we can choose for our term life insurance policies to last anywhere between one year and thirty years.

If we have such flexibility choosing the length of our term life insurance policies, why should we consider choosing a 30-year term life insurance policy? Well, there is a reason you are interested in purchasing a term life insurance policy in the first place. Maybe you like the flexibility of term life insurance policies; maybe you like the affordability. Maybe you only need life insurance for a certain number of years due to an illness or some kind of debilitating health condition. Maybe you just like the fact that with a term life insurance policy, you know that you are not subject to a “forced savings component” that comes with whole life insurance policies. In any event, you want a term life insurance policy, and by purchasing a 30-year term life insurance policy, you can rest assured knowing that you are going to be covered for the next 30 years.

It’s true that there is no cash value that accumulates with a 30-year term life insurance policy; however, at the end of the 30 years, you can renew your term life insurance policy even if you do not have evidence of insurability – your premiums may increase annually, but you can renew it.