Term Life Insurance Cover
Term Life Insurance Cover – protect the financial future of your loved ones with affordable term life insurance cover. Joint and single policies available as well as critical illness cover
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The cost of cheap life insurance quotes
If you’re looking specifically for cheap life insurance quotes, you may wish to pause for a second or two and consider a few realities of insurance life.
The true price of cheap life insurance quotes
In one sense, the cost of a life insurance quote appears to be pretty simple to ascertain.
You just need to look at the advertised price and you know more or less what your insurance is going to cost you.
Yet is it really as simple as that?
It isn’t a question of hidden costs or tricks and catches, simply that there is another potential cost that comes with any life policy – that of the policy not proving to be suitable should your dependents ever need to make a claim
Should such a situation ever arise, your policy may not pay out and then it may appear to have been exceptionally expensive cover, irrespective of how much you actually paid for it.
How could that happen?
The relative cost of a life insurance quote
Cheap life insurance quotes may differ in several respects – and not just in their price.
For example, some policies may have significantly different conditions relating to situations covered. Some may have fairly wide-ranging exclusions (e.g. dangerous occupations, hazardous chemicals, qualifying medical histories etc) and some rather less so.
Some policies, called level term cover, typically will offer a specified level of payout for a fixed number of years (the term).
A variation is offered by decreasing term policies where the payout will decrease for each year of the term – this type of cover is commonly associated with mortgage protection type life cover.
Then there is the class of cover called whole of life insurance. Those policies will pay out a specified amount of money in the event of your death, whenever that may occur and at whatever age (some policies may have an absolute upper limit of 95 or 100 years).
The key point is that the price you pay is related, to some extent or another to the type of cover you obtain as well as your own personal circumstances.
Therefore, the price itself cannot easily be viewed in isolation of these wider facts, as being either cheap or expensive.
Conclusions
It’s hard to escape concluding that what may prove to be cheap life cover for someone else, may not prove to be cheap for you if it is not an optimum fit for your requirements.
It may be something worth keeping at the forefront of your thoughts if you find yourself searching exclusively for a cheap life insurance quote.
The basics of term insurance
Term life insurance is a type of life protection and there are different types for different needs. For instance, if your main concern is how your partner would be able to keep the mortgage repayments up to date in the event of your death, you may wish to take decreasing term cover (otherwise known as mortgage protection life cover). However, if you wish to provide your loved ones with financial security overall should you die, then you may want to look at taking out level term insurance.
Does standard level term insurance also cover my mortgage?
Level term life insurance may cover your mortgage if you build in your outstanding mortgage balance when choosing your sum insured. However, it is not specifically tailored to meet your outstanding mortgage as decreasing term is. If you want to ensure your loved ones have the money to clear the mortgage in the event of your death, and you want them to have general financial security as well this may be a suitable choice.
However, do note that it may work out to be a costly way of taking out insurance with your mortgage in mind, as you may have paid the balance off well before your death. If you have considered your mortgage and have added on say £75,000 to cover your mortgage, it may not be needed. In this respect, decreasing term cover may work out to be the better policy.
So what is the difference between level term and decreasing?
With decreasing term life insurance, you take out the policy to cover the remaining years on your mortgage. You also insure your life for the amount that is left outstanding on your mortgage. As you pay off your mortgage, the amount left owning decreases and so does the amount your loved ones get back from the policy, in the event of your death during this time.
How do I know how much insurance to take when taking level term?
If you wish to take out level term insurance to ensure that you are able to leave your family financially secure for a period after your death, then different factors need to be considered. Here are some of the things you may wish to consider:
- the amount of debt and financial commitments you have;
- whether you have children – if so, are they going to need childcare, medical and dental care, school expenses and college or university costs?
- the rate of inflation;
- if your partner has to take full time work when your income is lost.
You may wish to sit down and work out your annual income and then multiply this by so many times, bearing the above in mind, to help you to reach a figure as to how much life cover to take out.
Are there any ways to save on insurance?
There are ways you may be able to help yourself to keep down the cost of the premiums for your term insurance. If you stop or cut down on the amount you smoke or drink, you may be able to reduce your premiums. You may also be able to save money if you ensure that you have a healthy lifestyle and good diet and are the correct weight for your height. Finally, using a broker who searches the market place for you may also help you access some suitable, affordable, deals.
Tips for choosing your life insurance cover
Buying life insurance cover is not easy, there are different types of policy, and the premiums for insurance may vary with providers. Here are some tips that may help you to choose the most suitable policy for your needs, and ensure you are able to get among the most competitive premiums.
- level term or decreasing term insurance are two of the most popular forms of life insurance cover;
- decreasing term life insurance (or mortgage protection life insurance) may be suitable if you want financial security for your loved ones when it comes to your outstanding mortgage. This type of cover can typically clear the all or part of the outstanding mortgage balance in the event of your death;
- level term insurance may be suitable if you wish to have general financial security for your loved ones. This provides a lump sum payment to your loved one son your death, which can be used for whatever purpose they wish;
- if you are considering a level term insurance policy, to help you to reach a sum insured figure you may want to take your annual salary and multiply it by so many times, plus take any outstanding debts such as loans into account.
Also, remember to allow for the rate inflation into account, as the amount you choose to cover today may not be worth the same in the future. Also, consider any children you have, you may wish to take into account such as medical costs, college and university fees and childcare. Consider the fact that your partner may have to look for full time work with the loss of your income;
- if you are a smoker or drinker you may wish to quit the habit or at the very least cut down substantially. You may want to consider changing your lifestyle if you are overweight as this may boost up the cost of the life insurance cover premiums. Eating more healthily and taking daily exercise may help you to keep down the premiums;
- premiums may be cheaper when you take decreasing life cover than they are with level term insurance.
- consider changing your hobby or sport if you take part in what the insurance provider deems to be extreme sports (which means that you are considered to be more at risk than an average person of dying prematurely due to partaking of this sport or hobby). This may help you to keep down the cost of your insurance premiums;
- whatever form of life insurance you choose you may wish to consider adding in critical illness protection for a little more in premiums. Critical illness cover safeguards against the possibility that you may suffer from a critical illness (such as certain types of cancer, a stroke etc) which are typically covered in the policy. If you were to be diagnosed, the policy typically pays out a lump sum. This can then be used for whatever purpose you wish to help make life easier at a difficult time.
- decide if you wish to take out joint or single policies in the event that you have a partner that also wishes to have insurance. You may be able to make savings with joint cover as opposed to taking out two separate policies.
All or any of the above may help when it comes to you obtaining the most competitive quotes for your life insurance cover while getting the most suitable protection.
Term life cover for your loved ones’ financial security
There is nothing you are able to do about death. When your time comes it happens, and nothing changes that, it is a fact of life. However, you are able to do something when it comes to leaving your family with financial security when you are gone – and one way is by term life cover.
Term life insurance may be taken out in the form of decreasing term or level term cover. The type of insurance which is the most suitable for your circumstances depends on the type of financial security you wish to leave your family.
Life insurance to protect your mortgage
If your main worry and consideration is the outstanding mortgage, then you may wish to take decreasing term insurance. This form of insurance – also known as mortgage protection life insurance – typically covers your outstanding mortgage balance in the event of your death.
When taking out decreasing term life cover, the amount you insure your life for (the ‘sum insured’) is usually the amount left to pay on your mortgage. The term of the policy – ie how long it lasts – is typically the amount of years left to pay on your mortgage.
As you continue to pay off your mortgage, the amount left owing reduces and so does the amount of the sum insured. Providing you continue to pay your life insurance premiums over this time, if you die within the policy term, the sum insured goes towards clearing your outstanding mortgage balance. This means that your family have the security of their home, with no mortgage repayments to worry about.
Life insurance for general financial security
If you wish to take out life insurance to cover the general future financial security of your family in the event of your passing, you may want to take level term life cover.
Level term insurance allows you to choose the length of time that you want insurance for and the amount (both up to set age and amount limits). It does not have to match the outstanding mortgage balance, it can be whatever amount you think that your family will need in the event of your death. When taking out this form of insurance you have to consider many factors such as any debt you have, children, day care costs, health costs, college or university costs, and the rate of inflation.
If you pass away during the term of your insurance, your loved one receives the sum insured. This sum remains the same throughout the term of your policy and does not decrease. However if you outlive your term life cover there is no payment and the policy simply lapses.
A brief guide to term life insurance
Life insurance brings you peace of mind that in the event of your death, those that are left behind have some financial security. The amount of financial security left behind is tailored to suit your needs when you take out term life insurance. When considering a policy there are two different types of insurance you may wish to consider. These are known as level term and decreasing term life insurance and here is a brief and simple guide to both of them.
Life insurance may be needed for a wide range of circumstances.
- you may wish to leave your loved ones with some financial help towards meeting bills when you are no longer here;
- you might want to leave money to look after your children and help to put them through college or university;
- you may wish to leave your loved ones mortgage-free in the event of your death.
The difference between level and decreasing term
- Level term insurance pays out the amount an agreed sum insured if you die within the policy period (known as the ‘policy term’). If you are still alive when that term is reached, there is no payout and no refund of premiums.
- Decreasing term life insurance – also known as mortgage protection life insurance – is typically taken if you have a mortgage. Your sum insured is the amount left outstanding on your mortgage and the policy term is the length of time left to pay on your mortgage. As you pay off the mortgage, this amount decreases, and so does the amount that will be paid out on your insurance. If you are alive when you have paid off the mortgage, there is nothing left to claim on the insurance and the policy simply ends.
Factors to consider when choosing insurance
Many factors may be taken into consideration when you thinking about term life insurance, some of which may include:
- how much insurance you need – if you are looking for a level term life policy then this is generally based on the amount of financial security you wish to leave your loved ones. As a general guide you may wish to take your annual salary and multiply this by the number of years, you wish your family to have security. However, take inflation into account and things such as children and financial commitments such as a mortgage. O you may simply want a policy that clears your mortgage in the event if your death, so the sum insured would be this amount, on a decreasing basis;
- the term of insurance – how long you need to take your insurance over may depend on factors such as the age of your partner and children and whether you have a mortgage and are taking out decreasing term insurance;
- whether you wish to take out decreasing term in line with a mortgage (so, the sum insured amount decreases over time as does your mortgage) or whether you want level term insurance (where the sum insured remains the same);
- the cost of term life insurance – this varies with as to what type of cover you choose, and the life cover provider. Providers take into account such things as your health when applying, your age and whether or not you smoke and drink.
Choosing term life insurance cover
It is important that when choosing term life insurance cover, you fully understand what the cover entails. There are different types of term life cover and many insurance providers sell life insurance using technical terms, which has your head reeling. This may lead to you not taking out the most suitable life cover for you.
Here are the different types of term life insurance:
- level term insurance;
- decreasing term insurance – also known as mortgage protection life cover.
Level term life insurance
Level term life insurance cover is often a very popular choice of life insurance cover. When choosing this type of policy the potential policy owner has to decide:
- how much cover they want;
- how long to take the policy over;
The sum of money you choose to insure (known as the ‘sum insured’) is the cash lump sum that your loved one gets back in the event of your death. The length of the policy is the amount of time you need life insurance and is the length of time you pay premiums.
For example, if you choose to insure your life for £100,000 and take the policy over 10 years, your policy pays out this sum of money anytime during the 10 years if you pass away. Of course, you do have to maintain the premiums for your term life insurance cover over this time. If you outlive your policy – ie you are still alive when the term is up – the policy expires and there is no payout.
Decreasing term insurance
The name of the insurance may provide you with a hint as to how it works. You decide how much you want to insure your life for and over how many years, as with term insurance. However, the big difference with this policy is that the amount your loved ones receive on the event of your death decreases, as time passes. This type of cover is typically used to ensure that any outstanding mortgage balance is cleared in the event of your death, leaving your loved ones with a roof voer their heads.
For example, if you have a mortgage with an outstanding balance of £70,000, and you wish this mortgage to be paid off if you die, you will take life insurance for this amount. If you have 10 years left to pay on the mortgage this is the length of time you take life insurance over.
Over the years as you meet your mortgage repayments the amount outstanding on your mortgage decreases and so does the policy sum insured.
Critical illness cover
When taking level term insurance you may also wish to include critical illness into your policy. This form of insurance typically pays out a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a critical illness. A policy typically covers a wide range of illnesses, but as this can vary among life cover providers, when taking this type of policy it is essential to check what is and is included within the cover.
Term life insurance cover of any type may be taken as either a single or a joint insurance policy. If you decide to take out a joint policy the policy typically pays out upon the first event occurring which is either death or critical illness.