Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is coverage that only lasts for a limited period of time, the relevant term.  The terms can generally last from 1-30 years.  After that period, the insured can either drop the policy or pay annually increasing premiums to continue the coverage. If the insured dies during the term, the death benefit will be paid to the beneficiary. Term insurance is often the most inexpensive way to purchase a substantial death benefit on a coverage amount per premium dollar basis.

Types of Term Insurance:

• Renewable Term - Renewable term plans give you the right to renew for another period when a term ends, regardless of the state of your health. With each new term the premium is increased. The right to renew the policy without evidence of insurability is an important advantage to you. Otherwise, the risk you take is that your health may deteriorate and you may be unable to obtain a policy at the same rates or even at all, leaving you and your beneficiaries without coverage.
• Convertible Term - Convertible term policies often permit you to exchange the policy for a permanent plan. You must exercise this option during the conversion period. The length of the conversion period will vary depending on the type of term policy purchased. If you convert within the prescribed period, you are not required to give any information about your health. The premium rate you pay on conversion is usually based on your "current attained age", which is your age on the conversion date. This type of policy often provides the maximum protection with the smallest amount of cash outlay.
• Level or Decreasing Term - Under a level term policy the face amount of the policy remains the same for the entire period. With decreasing term the face amount reduces over the period. The premium stays the same each year. Often such policies are sold as mortgage protection with the amount of insurance decreasing as the balance of the mortgage decreases. If the insured dies the proceeds of the policy can be used to pay off the mortgage.
• Adjustable Premium - Traditionally, insurers have not had the right to change premiums after the policy is sold. Since such policies may continue for many years, insurers must use conservative mortality, interest and expense rate estimates in the premium calculation. Adjustable premium insurance, however, allows insurers to offer insurance at lower "current" premiums based upon less conservative assumptions with the right to change these premiums in the future. The premium, however, can never be more than the maximum guaranteed premiums stated in the policy.

Return of Premium Term Life 

Imagine getting a money-back guarantee on your Term Life Insurance: Your family receives a lump sum of money if you die, but if you live the company returns all of your premiums!

Believe it or not, such a product now exists and is just one of the innovative solutions coming your way from some of the best insurers in the business. It’s called Return of Premium (ROP) and its aimed right at one of the greatest consumer objections to pure life insurance: "I’m probably not going to die, and my money will have been wasted."

Before this innovation, life insurance was available in two forms: Term Insurance and Cash Value Insurance.  Return of Premium (ROP) Term is an elegant and effective new solution that splits the problem up the middle. It starts out like Term Life Insurance with one extra promise from the insurer: If you pay your premiums and you live, we’ll give you your money back. On a typical 20 year Level Term Life Insurance policy the ROP feature could cost about 30% more, but that extra premium will effectively earn you a 6-7% return over the 20 years -– just enough to earn you back everything you’ve paid in. What’s in it for the carrier? LOYALTY. Carriers spend a lot of money to get your policy, and only start making a profit if you stick around more than five years or so. ROP guarantees that lots of customers stay for the full 20. And, for those that don’t, the carrier made an extra 30% on those guys -– and used some of it to pay you a solid return on your money. So if you know that you are going to be insured for the long haul, then think about tossing in a few extra dollars and getting it all back in the end.

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