Life Insurance

Life Insurance Concept

life insuranceWith life insurance, the insured is transferring the risk of death on to the insurer. It is not always the case that the insured is insuring their own life. Therefore there are three parties in a life insurance contract, the insurer, the insured person, and the owner of the policy. The other vitally important party is the beneficiary; this is the person who receives the insurance money if the insured’s death does occur. One or more of these parties could be the same person, for example, if I insure my own life and make my spouse the beneficiary, then I am the insured and the owner. Likewise, if my wife insures my life and makes herself the beneficiary, then she is the owner and the beneficiary.

An important concept in this life insurance is insurable interest. You must have what is known as an insurable interest in the life of the person you are insuring. Believe it or not there was a practice in the nineteenth century whereby people would take out speculative insurance policies on the life of another.

For example, if I knew you were going on a dangerous voyage, I might take out a life insurance policy on you in the hope that you wouldn’t make it and I would get a big payout. These days you cannot insure anybody’s life. You must show that you have an interest in that person being alive.

Life Insurance Policy

Most life insurance policies will have a suicide clause stating that if the insured commits suicide, usually within a period of two years, the policy will not pay out. There is also a contest period. This will also be approximately two years and if the insured dies within this period, the insurance company has greater rights to investigate the death before deciding whether or not to pay out.

The value of the life insurance policy will be subject to the principle of insurable interest also. For example, if your spouse provides you with $10,000 per year in support, you probably will not be able to take a $50 million insurance policy on their life. The premium will be calculated based on the amount to be paid out and the assessed risk of the insured’s death.

Life insurance is something that everyone needs to consider

In the event of an unfortunate loss, an individual often wants to have the peace of mind in knowing that his/her family will be financially secure.

Life insurance can be obtained in a number of ways, including from a national insurance provider, various credit cards and/or certain employers. Depending on the amount of coverage, which is usually available in varying amounts, monthly payments will range from being affordable to very expensive.

It is important for many individuals to purchase life insurance so that their loved ones will not have to worry about money in addition to being upset over their loss. When bills begin to come in and utilities are due, this can be a very difficult time for anyone who is also dealing with the loss of a family member. This is especially true if the loss was that of the family’s provider, which often means that little or no income will be coming into the household. A life insurance policy will help to ease some of that stress by providing financial help to the family that is left behind. In order to make sure the proper beneficiary is noted on any life insurance policy, the holder must make sure to provide all of the requested information to the insurance provider.

If life insurance is obtained when the policy holder is young, it will be very affordable. The more time that passes and the older an individual grows, the more expensive the policy will be. In addition, anyone with known health problems will likely pay a much higher life insurance premium if they are fortunate enough to find a carrier to provide them with a policy. As unfortunate as it is, many life insurance companies will not provide coverage to anyone known to be in poor health. The wellness, or lack thereof, relating to a patient will likely be determined by a mandatory physical. While not all carriers require this procedure, some will before confirming coverage. This is their way of making sure that the policy holder is in good health before issuing any type of coverage.

On a final thought to life insurance coverage, it is not a pleasant thing to discuss or even consider. It is, however, a necessary part of every family’s life.


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