Do you have some type of life insurance, but you know that $100,000 won't provide for your family's needs for very long? Are you leery of depending on insurance coverage provided through your job because you know that as soon as you lose the job, you'll lose your life insurance coverage?
Would you like to find life insurance coverage that truly protects your family, but you're mystified by terms such as whole life coverage, term life coverage, and variable life coverage? Does your confusion tempt you to just sign-up for the first life insurance coverage program a salesperson offers you instead of finding an insurance policy that's perfect for you and your family?
If so, researching and acquiring the perfect life insurance policy by using the following steps may be the key to finding coverage that genuinely suits your needs:
DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS
Do you need a policy that pays a simple death benefit for a reasonably low premium? If so, a term life insurance policy may be perfect for you. However if you'd rather have a policy that builds cash value or serves as a type of investment, a variable life or whole life policy may be your best option.
RESEARCH YOUR POTENTIAL INSURANCE CARRIER
You can, at any time, ask your state's insurance commission which insurance carriers are licensed to do business in your state. You can also inquire about the number of complaints and the nature of complaints filed against any approved insurance carrier in your state.
Furthermore, you can check almost any insurance company's rating by visiting the websites of the following organizations that are well-known for evaluating the financial stability of hundreds of insurance carriers: A.M. Best, Moody's Investor Service, Fitch Ratings, Standard and Poors, and Weiss Ratings.
FIND A GOOD INSURANCE AGENT
Asking friends and coworkers to recommend an insurance agent with whom they've had a good experience is usually the best way to find an agent. You can also contact professional insurance associations in your area to see if they have any insurance agent referral services.
Insurance agents/brokers have varying customer service skills, degrees of product knowledge, and years of general professional experience. Some insurance agents are considered "captive" because they can only sell coverage for one company. Other insurance agents/brokers are considered "independent" because they can sell insurance products for a variety of companies. Some insurance agents offer specialty insurance coverage products for people whose health conditions make them difficult to insure, while other agents only offer products for extremely healthy individuals.
You can also ask your state's insurance commission about whether complaints have been filed against any licensed insurance agent in your state.
WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS Of DIFFERENT INSURANCE OPTIONS
Would you rather have $500,000 of life insurance coverage providing a simple death benefit or $100,000 of life insurance coverage that builds a cash value asset for you and your family? Is it more valuable to spend $75/month on a policy through an agent/insurance company with a reputation for providing personal tailored customer service, or would you rather spend $45/month on a policy through a company that provides little customer service?
Once you've determined which policy is best for you and your family, notify the relevant company/agent and get the ball rolling on acquiring your perfect life insurance policy.
MONITOR YOUR FINANCIAL NEEDS AND INSURANCE POLICY
Even after acquiring the perfect life insurance policy for you and your family, continue to monitor the financial status of your insurance carrier as well as your own insurance coverage needs. Insurance companies have their ups and downs just like any other financial institution. If your insurance company/coverage no longer meets your needs, consult your insurance agent and start researching other life insurance coverage options.
Contemplating your family's life insurance coverage needs takes time and energy. However, finding the perfect life insurance policy and learning more about the insurance industry in the process is a lot more fun than just signing on the dotted line of an insurance policy that may not meet your needs.
Disclaimer: PLEASE NOTE, THE ARTICLE ABOVE REPRESENTS THE AUTHOR'S PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OF ANY KIND.
Copyright (c) 2007 Janna Chan
By: Janna Chan