- Need coverage that lasts for your entire life.
- Want the payments to stay the same (called level premiums).
- Want a guaranteed return on the cash value that builds up within the policy.
Assuming whole life is right for you, here’s a list of the biggest sellers and some tips on finding a good policy.
Choose the right amount of coverage
To find the right coverage amount, decide what you want the policy to accomplish. A relatively small policy — $10,000, for example — may pay for a funeral. You might need a larger policy if you have other priorities, such as funding a trust for a child with special needs.
Not all insurers that offer whole life sell policies in small amounts of coverage, and those that market small policies don’t always sell large ones.
Understand the different approval processes
Some whole life policies offer a simplified application process. You answer some health questions, but you don’t have to take a medical exam. Others ask no health questions and promise that you’ll be accepted.
These options are worth considering if you’ve been turned down for standard life insurance due to health problems — but you can find more affordable coverage if you’re in good health, and the policies have a few other downsides. The death benefits offered are relatively small, and the costs per $1,000 of coverage are higher than for policies that require a medical exam. In addition, these policies don’t pay the full death benefit if you die within the first few years of coverage.
Even if you have some health issues, you can generally find the best price by applying for a “fully underwritten” policy that asks health questions and requires a medical exam.
Look at the rate of return on cash value
Whole life insurance policies feature a “cash value” savings account. A portion of your premium is invested in the account, which grows slowly on a tax-deferred basis. You can borrow against the cash value, use it to buy more coverage or surrender the policy for the cash. (The death benefit is reduced if you don’t repay a loan, and it disappears altogether if you surrender the policy.)Whole life insurance policies guarantee a minimum growth rate on the cash value. Some policies can perform even better if they earn dividends, which are portions of the insurer’s financial surplus. Only mutual insurance companies, which are owned by policyholders rather than outside shareholders, pay dividends. They aren’t guaranteed, but they are worth taking into account when you compare policies.
Life insurance companies provide illustrations of how each policy’s cash value could perform. Always ask which parts of the illustration are guaranteed. For example, a mutual insurer will give cash value projections based on the payment of dividends, which aren’t guaranteed.
Examine extra policy features
Riders are coverage features you can add to your policy, usually for an extra cost. Examples include a chronic illness rider, which lets you access some of the death benefit if you have a serious illness, and a “disability waiver of premium” rider, which lets you skip payments if you become disabled. Available types and costs of riders vary by insurance company. Make sure your policy has the riders you want.Check the insurer’s financial strength rating
Find the financial strength rating of each insurer you’re considering. You can find these through rating firms, such as A.M. Best. Financial strength is important because a strong company has a better chance of being around decades from now to pay claims. Any company with an A.M. Best rating of B+ or higher is a good choice; companies rated B and below are more vulnerable, in A.M. Best’s opinion.All of the largest life insurance companies, for example, have solid financial strength ratings.
Compare prices
Get life insurance quotes for the same amount of coverage from several insurers to compare prices. You may find that rates for whole life insurance vary widely.source: https://www.nerdwallet.com
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