Question:

Could you explain to me in great detail the different types of Los Angeles life insurance policies? I can’t seem to figure it all out. Thanks!

Lakeisha

Los Angeles, CA

Answer:

What is life insurance? Life insurance in general is an arrangement between a policy holder and the carrier wherein the insurer pays a sum of money to the designated beneficiaries which can be claimed from the carrier under significant agreement on the event of the policy holder’s illness or untimely death. To simplify things, let’s tackle the two principal types of Los Angeles life insurance first.

Term and Permanent Los Angeles Life Insurance

The principal types of Los Angeles life insurance are term and permanent life insurance. Term life insurance is the most basic form of life insurance. If, within the term of the policy, the policy holder dies, the carrier pays the beneficiaries. The policy terms usually last from one to thirty years.

Term Life Insurance: Level Term and Decreasing Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance is further divided into two: level term and decreasing term. Level term insurance means that the death benefit is consistent throughout the specified duration of the policy. This type is the most affordable but provides limited protection. It doesn’t build cash value.

Decreasing term insurance simply means that the death benefits are lowered in one year increments. The rationale behind this type of insurance is that a person’s need for a bigger insurance is reduced as he ages. This means that certain obligations are diminished or no longer existing. Nowadays, this is known in the form of mortgage life insurance.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance is a different ball game. This protects you for as long as you live, until your death, as long as you are updated with your payments. It doesn’t expire, and can’t be cancelled, except in cases of fraud or you fail to pay your premiums.

Permanent Life Insurance: Whole Life, Variable Life, and Universal Life Insurances

There are three basic types of permanent life insurance: whole life, variable life and universal life. Whole life insurance gives protection for life, at a calculated cost. The death benefit is a fixed amount. The policy’s cash value has a guaranteed interest rate.

Universal life insurance segregates policy holder’s investments and the death benefits. Your premiums and death benefits can be changed to suit your financial capability. Variable life insurance gives fixed protection to the policy holder’s beneficiary should the former die.

Los Angeles life insurance policies can be confusing. If you don’t know which Los Angeles life insurance to choose, have a talk with a licensed Los Angles life insurance broker that you trust. There’s no rush in choosing a Los Angeles life insurance policy. Know your needs before making a decision. Like voting, choose wisely.