Life Insurance
Browse our articles about life insurance
Cash Value, Policy Loans and Nonforfeiture Options
Permanent life insurance builds a value you can use while alive. Here is how loans, surrender and the three nonforfeiture options work, and what each one costs.
Read MoreThe Contestability Period and What Can Void a Policy
For a limited period after issue, a life insurer can contest a claim over the application. Here is how incontestability works, and what the suicide clause does.
Read MoreFinal Expense vs Term Life: Which One Fits
Term life covers a period; final expense covers a lifetime at a smaller amount. The right answer depends on whether the need you are covering has an end date.
Read MoreGroup Life Through Work vs an Individual Policy
Employer life insurance is easy to get and easy to lose. Here is what group coverage does well, where it falls short, and how portability and conversion work.
Read MoreHow a Life Insurance Death Claim Is Paid
Filing a life insurance claim takes a death certificate and a claim form. Here is the sequence, the payout options, the tax treatment, and how to find a lost policy.
Read MoreHow Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
A multiple of income is a shortcut, not an answer. Here is the needs-based method the Insurance Information Institute recommends and the resources that offset the total.
Read MoreLife Insurance Riders Worth Understanding
Riders change what a life insurance policy does. Here are the common ones, what each adds, and the conditions attached to the two that pay while you are alive.
Read MoreLife Insurance Underwriting and the Medical Exam
Underwriting is how an insurer classifies your risk. Here is what the application, the paramedical exam and the outside databases actually look at.
Read MoreNaming a Life Insurance Beneficiary
The beneficiary designation controls who gets the money, and it usually overrides a will. Here is how primary, contingent, per stirpes and minor designations work.
Read MoreNo-Exam, Simplified Issue and Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
Skipping the medical exam is possible in three different ways, and they are not equivalent. Here is what each one trades away in return for speed.
Read MoreTerm vs Permanent Life Insurance: How They Differ
Term life covers a set period and pays only if you die during it. Permanent life lasts for life and builds cash value. Here is how each is built and who each fits.
Read MoreThis content is for general informational purposes only and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice. Coverage, exclusions, eligibility, and pricing vary by insurer, by policy, and by state, and only the policy documents control what is covered. Always confirm the details of any coverage with a licensed insurance agent or the issuing carrier before you buy.