4-Step Guide to Calculate Your Life Insurance Needs
Reader’s Question:
How do I know if I’m buying the right amount of life insurance? This is my first time to do this.
Ikaros
Tampa, FL
Life insurance is one of the most useful financial tools one can own. Having the right amount of coverage is essential for the financial well-being of your loved ones should you suddenly pass away. Here is a life insurance calculator guide to help you out:
Step 1: Estimate Costs of Death
You wouldn’t want to leave your loved ones with the burden of burying you. Include the total funeral and burial expenses that you believe it will cost.
Step 2: Money to Clear Long Standing Debts / Loans
You should also factor in any long term financial obligations you, your spouse, or your family has taken in. This will include money to pay-off debts, loans, and mortgage. You should also allocate enough money on your coverage for future needs like college tuition.
Step 3: Survivor Living Costs / Years of Need
This is probably the most important aspect to consider when calculating your life insurance coverage. You want your family/dependents to still be able to life the lifestyle that they’re accustomed to after you are gone. A good rule of thumb is to buy coverage that can replace your annual income at least ten times over.
Step 4: Cover other Assets
Don’t neglect the other assets that you and your family have. This would include any business on the side that is still providing income as well as non-monetary assets like health insurance coverage.
Florida Senior Life Insurance Co
Reader’s Question:
Does the reputation of a senior life insurance company really matter?
Katie
Tampa FL
The short answer? Yes the reputation of a senior life insurance co matters a lot. This is a major factor in choosing which company you would invest your money on. While a small company may require you only a small amount in premiums, there is less guarantee that you will be able to enjoy full benefits when the need arises. Price should only be one factor in choosing an insurance company.
Another factor to consider is the number of products offered. If the company you are planning on has only a few products, then your choices on the type of insurance to get become very limited. A good insurance company should be able to give you a variety of products to choose from.
Claim management is another thing that you should look into. In this case, ask around. Visit forums on the web. Learn how long it takes the company to settle claims. It is also sound to go to a claims database and see if their are customers who complain due to inaction or bad treatment.
Knowing about their sales force is also a factor in choosing a senior life insurance co. If the company only allows in-house agents, then you could be getting biased information. This is because the agent you are dealing with has no choice but to represent the company. By having an independent brokerage, an insurance company ensures that its sales force will do its best to serve your interest.
Believe it or not, the company’s business cycle is also part of the consideration. Is the company planning to start a ew business? If so, it could affect how much premium you are going to pay. If the company is at its optimum stage, then you could qualify for insurance at theirs even if your application for insurance has been denied by others.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider in choosng a good insurance company. Just to repeat what I’ve said earier, always make sure that the senior life insurance co has a very good reputation.
Cheap Life Insurance Tampa Florida
Reader’s Question:
What are the things I should consider in buying a cheap life insurance in Tampa Florida?
Mike
Tampa FL
Just like any other types of insurance, the prices of life insurance have gradually been falling off over the past decades. Almost everyone, even people with existing health conditions, can now lower down their life insurance premiums and can get a better coverage deal.
The following are some things to consider which can help you get a life insurance in Tampa at the lowest cost. Continue to shop around even if you think that your existing coverage has a good rate. Prices of life insurances continue to fall down every year as the insurance market grows rapidly and continues to compete with one another. Go to insurance websites that could provide you with several quotes from the best insurance companies. An insurance website would only ask from you several medical and lifestyle questions and match it with an accurate price.
You can also get a cheap life insurance in Tampa when you get to change your unhealthy lifestyle. You can improve your health if you have quit smoking, lost weight, improved your cholesterol level or lowered down your blood pressure.
People with pre-existing health conditions may also be able to lower down their rates or finally get life insurance coverage if they have been rejected in the past. It is the best time to shop around again for quotes when you have diabetes, asthma, heart disease or any other health problems. You can possibly get a better premium now, depending on the severity of your condition, if you can prove to the insurer that you are in total control of your health.
Life insurance rates tend to vary among different insurance companies. So you may work with a life insurance agent who knows best which insurance company can give the best offer for someone like you.
Cheaper Life Insurance Coverage In Tampa Florida
Reader’s Question:
How do I reduce my life insurance costs? Do I have to switch life insurance companies just to get lower insurance premiums here in Tampa, FL?
Shantal
Tampa, FL
Good question. Although sometimes switching providers may be the only way to reduce your life insurance cost, it should only be done as a last resort. But if you’ve had that policy for years, it may be worth it to take a look at the current market rates and prices. Life insurance premiums have dropped to their lowest in years, thanks to more sophisticated underwriting methods, fiercer competition between insurers, and due to the economy. Here are some tips to help you save more on your life coverage:
Eliminate The Smoking Habit
Did you now that by smoking and using other nicotine-based products (Tobacco, cigars, etc.) that you’re pushing your rates up by as much four times the average? Smokers are a red flag to the insurers business because of the obvious health risks it represents to an individual. Expect your rates to drop dramatically if you’re clean for at least three years.
Live Healthier
Get in shape, drink moderately, have a healthy diet. Anything you do that keeps you alive longer would translate to lower life insurance premiums.
Extreme Sports Make You Pay More
Exposing yourself to a high-risk lifestyle, to extreme conditions, or hazardous activities will not help reduce your life insurance costs there in Tampa, Florida.
Find Better Rates
If all else fails, there is nothing to lose by switching. And if you are going to switch carriers, you should take advantage of the many different life insurance portals online. These websites allow free and instant access to the latest rates in the market. Take this website your on right now; here you can easily compare insurers in your area and find the most affordable provider within minutes.
Do Buy Coverage While Your Still Young
Buying coverage early in life enables you to get the best rates. For women, it’s highly recommended that you get life insurance coverage before pregnancy, as premiums increase significantly for women who have already given birth.
Tags: life insurance cost
Group Life Insurance Coverage Tampa Florida FL
Reader’s Question:
A bunch of us are being temporarily laid-off from our office here in Tampa, Florida, does this mean that I am no longer covered under our company’s Group Life Insurance Plan?
Zacharias
Tampa, FL
That would depend on your employer. Is your compensation with your employer also suspended? Where you given an assurance or a specified date when you are expected to be reinstated back? Since employers are usually the one that pays for your group life insurance, if you are not getting compensated then your might have also been temporarily removed from your employer’s group life insurance. If your company there in Tampa, Florida has a salary continuation plan that may be paying you full or a portion of your wages, then your group life insurance coverage should also continue. Most large corporations are able to do this for their employee’s even during temporary lay-offs.
In any case, you should get in touch with your Human Resources or Compensation department to clarify this further (if they have not done so when you were briefed about the temporary lay-off). You should know about your status with your company since you are only given 30 days to notify your employer, or your employer’s group life insurance company, if you would want to convert your coverage into an individual life insurance plan before the said coverage is terminated. This may or may not involve having to undergo at least some form of physical or medical exam so that the life insurance carrier can properly determine your insurability, and therefore charge you the appropriate premiums. We do hope that everything works out for the best with you and your employer.
Tags: Group life insurance, life insurance advise, life insurance info, affordable life insurance, life insurance question
Permanent Or Term Life For Long-Term Needs Tampa Florida FL
Reader’s Question:
I have a fairly good idea of how permanent life insurance policies work, would it be a good idea to just go for a term life insurance policy and invest the rest of my money here in Tampa, Florida, somewhere else?
Eoin
Tampa, FL
This is a very interesting question. To some people, having to pay high life insurance premiums makes whole life insurance policies not a very popular first choice for coverage. The best way to answer your question would be to first identify your purpose of getting life insurance coverage there in Tampa, Florida.
If you are only getting life insurance coverage so that family members or people who rely on your income would have financial protection in case you pass away, then it may be better to just go with a cheap term life insurance policy and put the rest of the money into time deposits, your 401(k) or an IRA. Your money would most likely enjoy higher interest rates than it would most life insurance policies.
If, on the other hand, you plan to have lifetime life insurance coverage, and would want all of your money to eventually become proceeds to your beneficiaries once you pass away, you may want to consider a Whole Life Insurance policy than other investment mechanisms. First of all, proceeds from a life insurance policy are (except for a few instances) tax-free. With whole life insurance policies your beneficiaries are already guaranteed to get a huge amount of money once you die. The same can be said about term life as well but the cost of keeping term life in the long-run is much higher then a whole life policy.
Tags: permanent life insurance, term life insurance, life insurance advise, life insurance information
Life Insurance Settlements Florida FL
Reader’s Question:
I’ve heard of viatical settlements but not life insurance settlements. How does this work?
Chad
Tampa, FL
With viatical settlements, a person who is terminally ill can sell his/her life insurance policy for portion of the face value of the policy. With life insurance settlements, also called senior settlements, a policyholder, although he/she is not terminally ill, can sell the life insurance policy. However, under this contract, the investor who will buy the life insurance policy will only pay a portion of the life insurance policy’s face amount rather than getting what the death benefits would have worth. The investor will then continue the payments for the life insurance policy and will also receive the full amount upon your death.
This is not the same as merely surrendering your life insurance policy. When you surrender the policy, this means that you are selling the policy back to the life insurance company for a cash value. Furthermore, the amount of money that you will be receiving from life insurance settlement is substantially higher than that from surrendering your life insurance policy to the life insurance company. Life insurance experts say that the value of life insurance settlements is higher than the cash value by 25%.
Tags: life insurance
Life Insurance Rate Conditions Tampa Florida FL
Reader’s Question:
What kinds of conditions would make my life insurance provider here in Tampa, Florida, increase my premiums?
Gus
Tampa, FL
There are many things that can cause your life insurance rates there in Tampa, Florida to increase, but one of the most common factors would be your age. Of course a younger person would have less risk of dying sooner than an older individual, but it wouldn’t be just because one is closer to the end their lifespan as the other, however, the increased risk of dying due to illnesses or complications caused by unhealthy habits over the years would be a significant factor as to why older age is synonymous to higher life insurance premiums.
Life insurance companies also use mortality rates or tables where people fall into age categories and each category will have a statistically-based predicted number of deaths. These will influence how much premiums a life insurance company will charge your particular age group in order to compensate for death benefits costs in your age segment.
Changes in health, habits, lifestyle and even your job can also influence your rates however, changes in rates would be most profound for those who signed up for short or brief term life insurance and would have to renew more frequently as compared to those who signed up for whole life. So the type of life insurance policy you got would also play a role in how your premiums change. It would be best to consult your policy’s terms of agreement to determine exactly what factors can cause your provider to increase your premiums.
Tags: affordable life insurance, life insurance online, life insurance advise, life insurance rates
Smokers Life Insurance Rates Tampa Florida FL
Reader’s Question:
Is it true that I am paying my life insurance provider here in Tampa, Florida, by being a smoker?
Kevin
Tampa, FL
On average, those who smoke pay three or four times more on life insurance rates and premiums than non-smokers annually. So smokers like you are charged more due to the inherent risks associated with tobacco and cigar use. For example, for a policy of $500,000.00 worth of “Face Value” or the amount a life insurance company agrees to pay your beneficiaries in the event of your untimely demise, a non-smoker can get a monthly rate of $27 – $30 while a smoker may be charged from $60 to $70 for the same kind of life insurance policy. Doing the numbers with these figures and you probably already have an idea how much those packs of cigarettes are costing you on an annual basis, and that’s not including the estimated thousands of dollars an average smoker will be spending for medication or treatment due to smoking-related illnesses by the time they hit their senior years.
So if you can, quit smoking as soon as possible, your life insurance provider there in Tampa, Florida would probably encourage you from quitting by agreeing to lower your rates within two or three years that and you have managed to stay clean. If you are tagged as a smoker under your policy, it is recommended that you get in touch with your provider to see exactly what rates they can provide you, and when, for quitting smoking.
Tags: smokers life insurance, high-risk life insurance, life insurance, advise, life insurance information
Life Insurance Question Florida FL
Reader’s Question:
Hi I’m from Florida. I’m planning to get a life insurance. My friend mentioned to get return of premium. What does this have to offer?
Bryan
Tampa, FL
The return of premium offers death benefit protection and return of premium. The insurance company will return the entire insurance premium you paid when the period ends provided that keep the policy for the term period. You will receive the premium back no matter how long the period is.
If you want to cancel the policy, you will still receive some premium. The longer the period of keeping the policy, the higher the return, which is according to the sum of the cumulative premium that was paid during the period. Furthermore, this type of life insurance is tax free so have all
your money back without giving some away to the government.
If you want to consider this option, you can contact your agent in California to find out more about this.
Tags: life insurance