When you are ready to purchase a life insurance policy, you are advised to make a life insurance comparison. You should ensure that you are getting the best possible life insurance at the best possible rates. There are different types of life insurance policies available in market with different rates so you are recommended to spend a little time and gather valuable information of the various companies to get the best deal.

During a life insurance comparison, first you have to justify the type of life insurance policy you would like to prefer, whether it is a low cost term life insurance or a universal life insurance. There is a huge difference between these two life insurance policies. Term life insurance is meant only for a short span of time. In case you remain alive after that period, then the term life insurance policy needs to be renewed or you will need to purchase a new one. Whole life insurance or universal life insurance on the other hand lasts for your whole life.

There are lots of whole life insurance companies available online and it is not difficult to compare the benefits of different online life insurance companies, their quotes etc. If you are in search of a term life insurance then you are advised to request for a minimum of three online term life insurance quotes to compare premiums and settlements offered by each of them.

When you are comparing life insurance policies, the most important aspect is to make a comparison of monthly premiums that you have to pay. The premium should be as low as possible and in case of universal life insurance. The premium depends upon the market conditions.

Comparisons of premiums are not enough; you should also compare whole life insurance rates with term life insurance rates. The best method for comparison is free life insurance quote. If you are not confident it is advisable to seek help of a reliable insurance agent to get you the right policy.

A term life insurance plan provides life insurance – plain and simple. A whole life insurance plan provides life insurance but also accrues value which you can cash out or borrow against. It generally takes about three years to see any value and then it’s not a lot of money. Term life insurance in comparison to whole life is considerably less costly for this reason. Some will refer to term life insurance as renting insurance rather than buying it. The reason for that attitude is that much like auto insurance, you pay the premium each month or quarter or year to hedge against the bet that you might have an accident (in the case of term life insurance the accident is death). If you don’t have that accident in the case of auto insurance, or if you don’t die in the case of life insurance, you don’t get the money.

We all die of course, so it might seem that term life insurance is a good bet and the best bet in comparison to whole life. The catch here is that term life insurance will end at a certain point and that point may well be before you are deceased. Term life insurance plans are only good until a certain predetermined age many are 70 years of age, others up to 80. For those of us who really need this coverage until the day we die these aren’t good plans in comparison to whole life which will be in force until the day we die.

Term life insurance is a good buy in comparison to whole life, however, if all you are trying to do is set money aside to prevent your young family from becoming destitute in the event of your unexpected death. Once you reach the age of 70, the likelihood is that your children will be comfortably on their own and not dependent on your money or income to survive. Of course, if this is your only life insurance and it goes away before you die then your family or someone else must bear the cost of burying you. That is where whole life insurance is a favorable comparison to term life. Whole life will stay in place as long as you do, and will be there when it comes time to pay for your burial.

It may be then that in doing a comparison between term life insurance and whole life insurance, the results indicate a need for both. Many professionals suggest that you buy an amount of term life insurance that would keep your family bills paid for a predetermined time in the event of your untimely death, choosing a term that covers them only until they are old enough to take care of their bills on their own. These same professionals suggest as well that you also buy a whole life insurance policy for an amount of $7000-$12,000, merely to assure that your family will have money to bury you.

In other words, if you are 40 and your children are 6, 8 and 10, you’re going to need about 15 years of term life insurance until your youngest is through four years of college. You might decide, with three children and a spouse that you’ll need several hundred thousand dollars of coverage. A Whole life policy of $10,000, however, would be plenty to provide a decent funeral and burial.

The truth is that no one likes to think about life insurance but it is a very necessary part of life. Being responsible means making sure your affairs are in order at all times which is basically what life insurance helps you do. When choosing a life insurance company, be sure to think about these qualities you want in a great company.

Reputation

One of the most important things you need to consider when choosing between life insurance companies is reputation. You should only work with companies that have outstanding reputations. There are far too many scams in the world to fall for so be sure to stick with companies that look and feel legitimate. This does not mean you should always go with the largest company out there, just be sure that the insurance company you choose to work with is professional and will be around when you need them to be.

Competitive Prices

Just like auto insurance, you need to shop around for life insurance rates. Depending on your age, different companies will be able to offer you different prices. You may pay more on one policy but get better benefits. Look at three to five quotes from life insurance companies before you make a commitment. Once you sign up with one company, you probably will never want to change because you may lose some benefits you have earned. So, making the right decision the first time is important. Remember to use your instinct and only work with those who are professional and legitimate.

If they believe that the applicant will live long and will therefore make a substantial number of insurance premium payments during his/her lives, then life insurance companies see the applicant as low risk to their business. However, if life insurance companies believe that an applicant could die soon and therefore make relatively few life insurance premium payments while they are alive, that candidate will be seen as a higher risk by the insurance companies.

How life insurance premiums are calculated

When calculating life insurance premiums, two factors are considered by life insurance companies. The first factor involves an evaluation of the general likelihood of death occurring at a particular age and involves the scaling of applicants against normal life expectancy. This sets the ‘average’ risk level that different age ranges attract; needless to say that the closer you are to your average life expectancy, the higher the risk level that you’ll be measured against.

The second factor is based on whether the applicant is above or below their average risk level for their age. Someone who has an unhealthy lifestyle, suffers from pre-existing health conditions and is in a stressful job is likely to be classified as ‘above average’. On the flip side, someone who goes to the gym regularly, does not smoke and eats a balanced diet is likely to be seen as ‘below average’. Naturally, those who are below average risk will see keener insurance premiums on their life insurance policy for their age than people who are classified as ‘above average’.

Cheaper life insurance

While there is often little we can do about pre-existing health conditions, there are ways in which to tip the scales in our favor of cheaper life insurance. This we can do by altering our lifestyle and striking a better work-life balance in a stress-free environment. Changing lifestyle habits though can be more effective for some than it can for others.

For instance, a person in their twenties living out an unhealthy existence is likely to be seen as less of an insurance threat for their age to life companies than someone in their fifties with the same unhealthy lifestyle. This is because the body of a 20-year-old will respond more efficiently to improvements in lifestyle than will the body of a 50-year-old. In essence, there are different degrees of being above average and below average, making the calculation of life insurance premiums for each individual definitely a job for the experts at the life companies.

One type of life insurance policy is called “Whole Life Insurance”. This type of life insurance is effective provided you continue to make the monthly payments upon the premium. This is a very popular type of life insurance because it allows you to build cash value on the policy and is on a basis that is tax-deferred. The way this works is that a portion of the premium you are paying is put into an account of savings that the policy invests into. All interest that is earned upon the policy is put into the savings and helps to build the cash value. Once the cash value reaches a higher level, you could be required to pay the premium after age or you could be allowed to borrow against that cash value.

Another attractive benefit of having a whole life insurance policy is that your premium will always remain the same. At no time will the amount change at all. Therefore, as long as you continue to pay the premium each month, you will remain at the same amount for the entire time. If you choose to take a loan out on the cash value you have earned, the only difference you will have to pay is paying back that loan. One downside to this policy is the fact that you will have no control whatsoever over how the company chooses to invest the dollars you pay on your premium.

Another type of life insurance is the term life insurance policy. This policy is selected for a specified amount of time. If you should happen to pass away during the term of this specified time then your family would then receive payment in the form of a lump sum as the contract specifies. Typically the premiums upon this type of policy are far cheaper than other types and it does not allow you to build any type of cash value. With this type of life insurance, your premium can change or increase on a yearly basis and it generally does increase each year. It is the more expensive type of insurance that is available however it will provide your family with complete protection in the event of your death.

These new policies exploit a loophole in the new Finance Bill and should result in savings of between 5% and 15% for standard taxpayers and around 30% for higher taxpayers.

But there are strings attached. You can’t add extras on to your life policy such as critical illness cover and the insured sum must be a fixed sum. Neither can you have a joint policy. Basically, it has to be a bog standard, level term, single beneficiary, life insurance policy.

Then there are more restrictions but quite honestly, these are unlikely to pose a problem to anyone unless they’re very wealthy. You can’t have one of these special life policies if the annual contributions you pay into your pension plus the life insurance premiums, exceed £215,000 per year. Furthermore, if the value of your pension fund plus the payout on your life policy exceeds £1,500,000, the current limit set by the Chancellor, the excess will be taxed at 55%. Conventional life insurance policies are excluded from this calculation.

Tax relief on the premiums is automatically collected by the life insurance company so you pay a premium which is already reduced by standard rate tax relief. If you’re a higher rate taxpayer, you’ll have to claim the extra tax through your self-assessment tax return. However, once you’ve told your taxman about your premiums, they should automatically continue to give you the tax relief through your tax code.

So, why are the savings less than the value of the tax relief? Well, the reason is that the life companies have to administer the tax relief and there are certain operational restrictions imposed by the Inland Revenue on the insurance company. This means that the basic cost of these policies is a little more than conventional life insurance – but after the tax relief you should save.

As with all these loopholes, you must be aware that the Chancellor could remove the tax relief. It is rare for a future tax change to be applied retrospectively so you are likely to be safe. Your income could also change and move you into a lower tax bracket. This would reduce your savings.

This new type of life policy is now available from most of the big UK insurers and specialist life insurance brokers. However, you won’t be able to get an online quotation – you’ll have to speak on the phone to a Life Insurance Adviser.

And just to confuse matters these policies are known under a range of names: Pension Term Insurance, Life Insurance with Tax Relief, Life Protection with Tax Relief – but they all mean the same thing.

Term insurance provides coverage for a pre-specified period. For example, term insurance is designed to protect a mortgage or provide income for your family in case of your death. You pay the term insurance premium each month and as long as you pay the premium your policy will stay in force. Once the contract reaches maturity (usually in 10 years) you need to renew your policy at a higher price. If you die while you’re paying the premium, your estate gets a large sum of money.

In contrast, permanent or whole life insurance remains in force until you die. You pay the premium on a monthly basis for a pre-specified term which can range between 10 to 20 years. A portion of your monthly payment pays the insurance and the life insurance company that provided the insurance invests the remainder. Eventually, you don’t pay any health insurance premiums but your estate still receives a large payment upon death.

Whole life insurance policies have been criticized because their investment returns are low. Thus, you were often advised to buy life insurance protection with a term policy and invest the difference between term and whole life payments in a separate investment vehicle such as mutual funds, stocks, or bonds. Once you have built up a large pool of assets you don’t need the insurance because the assets will provide security and stability in the event of an unexpected death.

However, there is a new, more flexible product called universal life insurance. While the life insurance company controls the savings in a whole life policy, the savings in a universal life plan are owned and controlled by the policyholder. Insurance companies offer a large variety of investment options for this savings component including mutual funds. Thus, you have the ability to meet your life insurance needs and increase your return on investment.

The major advantage of a universal life policy is tax-advantaged growth. When you pay the policy premium, a portion of the premium pays for the insurance and a portion is invested. However, when you are ready to withdraw the money from your investment, your cost basis (the portion not subject to tax) is higher with a universal life policy. The cost base for a universal policy is equal to the sum of all your premiums – the amount of money you have invested plus the money you have used to buy life insurance. This is very useful because increasing your cost base will ensure you pay less tax once you sell your investments within the universal life policy.

Universal life insurance provides a powerful combination of life insurance and tax-advantaged investment opportunities. Investors should realize that universal life insurance premiums work twice as hard as other premiums. They should also know that choosing the right product is an important element in the overall success of this strategy. Finally, the benefits of this strategy are magnified if you are in a higher tax bracket.

Broadly, the life insurance is divided into two parts.

1. Term Life Insurance Policy – Anyone can opt for a term life insurance. This type of policy is basically meant to cover a person’s short term requirements. For instance, if the policyholder unfortunately meets with a grave accident, he can claim for the insurance amount. But it also compensates the bereaved in the case of death of a family member. All in all it is a policy that helps in covering potential need for life insurance in the short run.

Term life insurance is usually a renewable and convertible program. It ranges from one to hundred years. If it is a one year program then the cost of its coverage increases after every one year till the time it expires. Generally the expiry is at the age of 75. While if the policy is term to the age of 100 along with cash value it subsequently becomes a part of the insurance for ‘whole life’. Quite often, it is noticed that it is cheaper to buy a whole life insurance policy than a non-cash one in value Term 100 policy.

2. Permanent Life Insurance – this is life insurance for the entire life of the individual. The value of this policy increases throughout the time one participates in the program. Terms such as Par and Non-Par are widely used in this context. Par whole life coverage generates dividends that are a partial return of the premium paid for coverage and investment growth. The amount of dividends keeps on changing from annually. On the other hand, the non-par whole life insurance policies offer no dividends. The future cash values in these cases are not projected but assured or guaranteed.

• Besides, these whole life-quick pay premium policies are also available. In these, there is a fixed premium that one has to pay for quit a short interval of time till the time it is entirely paid up. The death benefit in this policy is leveled and paid up at the time the premium ceases.

• Whole life insurance policy can also be fractured in terms of premium payable for 15 years, 20 years and 65 years of age. The terms and conditions in these cases remain more or less the same.

• Universal life insurance policy is meant for people who require a life insurance, have a big marginal tax bracket, have big RRSP and pension contributions, paying a good tax on investment income, want to have an additional future income and have an investment prospect for at least 10 years. These policies are considered to be most difficult of all the insurance contracts.

Life Insurance provides you with insurance cover for a specific period of time (known as the policy’s “term”). Then, if you were to die whilst the policy is in force, the life insurance company pays out a tax-free sum. If you survive to the end of the term, the policy is finished and has no residual value whatsoever. It only has a value if there is a claim – in that context it’s just like your car insurance.

Life Assurance is different. It is a hybrid mix of investment and insurance. A Life Assurance policy pays out a sum equal to the higher of either a guaranteed minimum underwritten by the policy’s insurance provisions or its investment valuation. The value of the investment element is then a reliant on the Insurance Company’s investment performance and length of time you have been paying the premiums.

Each year, the insurance company adds an annual bonus to the guaranteed value of your life assurance policy and there is normally an extra “terminal bonus” at the end. Therefore, as the years go by, your life assurance policy increases in value as the investment bonuses accumulate. The values of these bonuses are then determined by the insurance company’s investment performance. Once investment value has been assigned to the policy, you can cash it in with the insurance company. However, most people get a far better price for their life assurance policy by selling it to a specialist investment broker rather than cashing it in with the insurance company.

If you were to die during a Life Assurance policy’s term, the policy pays out the higher of either the guaranteed minimum sum or the accumulated value of the annual investment bonuses. However, if you are still living when the policy terminates, you usually get a bigger payout. This is because with most insurance companies, an additional terminal bonus is awarded. There is a also a specialized form of life assurance called “Whole of Life”. These policies remain in force for as long as you live and as such, have no preset term.

There is also a practical difference for the internet user. Whereas you can buy life insurance online, the Financial Services Authority views life assurance as fundamentally an investment product. As such they believe it is best suited to being sold by a Financial Adviser with advice based on the Advisors full understanding of your personal details. Therefore, you will be unable to buy life assurance online. However, you can use the internet to find a suitable financial adviser with whom you can meet and discuss your requirements.

What are Life Insurance policies and Life Assurance policies used for?

Life Insurance is usually a focal point of the family’s financial protection. It is ideally suited to ensure that known debts such as a mortgage are repaid in full in the event of the policyholder’s death.

When it comes to providing a lump sum for general use in the event that the policyholder was to die whilst the policy was in force, either life insurance or life assurance can be used. The differences are that with life insurance the size of payout would be preset whereas with life assurance, it would depend on the guaranteed minimum and the insurance company’s investment performance. But remember, at the end of the policy’s term life insurance is worthless, whereas life assurance should payout a sizeable investment sum. In this context, Life Assurance seems far more worthwhile but in practice, more people elect for life insurance. Why? It’s a matter of cost. Life Insurance is considerably cheaper than Life Assurance. Furthermore, in recent years, investment returns on Life Assurance policies have fallen significantly and many insurance companies have placed penalties for cashing in policies early. This has adversely affected the resale value of Life Assurance policies.

Finally, if you want a product to provide a lump sum on your death whenever that is with a minimum payout guaranteed, you’ll probably elect for Whole of Life insurance. It’s really a form of lifetime investment with the benefit of a guaranteed minimum. They’re particularly useful for Inheritance Tax Planning.

When these women apply for life and critical illness cover, the insurance industry wants to ask them whether they have been tested for the gene mutations BRCA1 or BRCA2. These are the gene complications that increase the chances of them developing these cancers. But before the insurance companies can ask these questions on their application forms, they must get approval from the Genetics and Insurance Committee, the body that advises the Government on these and similar issues.

In the coming months, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) will be requesting the Committee for authority to ask women whether they have been tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations. These are the mutations that are present in 1 in 10 of newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer and 1 in 20 of new cases of breast cancer. Approximately 1 in 850 women in Britain inherit a faulty BRCA1 gene and of those, 14 – 18% will develop breast cancer during in their lives.

On the web site for the Genetics and Insurance Committee, we found a notice saying, ” The Committee expects that the Association of British Insurers will submit in late 2006/2007 four revised and updated applications for the use of adverse results from the predictive genetic tests of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes (breast/ovarian cancer) in helping to determine life insurance premiums for life and critical illness insurance”.

So far, application forms issued by British insurance companies are only allowed to ask for the results of predictive tests for Huntington’s disease. Even then, the question can only be asked when the application is for more than £500,000 of life insurance cover or more than £300,000 for critical illness insurance or over £30,000 for payment protection insurance. This rule is set under an agreement entered into by the insurance industry which is due to expire in 2011 but the Chairman of the ABI’s Genetics Working Party, Harpal Karlcut, is reported in the trade insurance magazine “Cover”, as saying:

“We are looking to get approval for the breast cancer test by the end of the year. The two breast cancers are the next conditions that we will look at but after that we don’t see the need to look at other conditions”. We do keep an eye out for what diseases may come up in the future but there is nothing else on the horizon”. We add another important rider – yet.