Life insurance is a great option for those who would love to provide some financial security to their loved ones once they pass away. A life insurance pay-out can be used to pay the mortgage, cater to university fees, help pay off debt, or help a spouse retire comfortably. Due to the large number of policies and options available, it is easy to make mistakes that might end up costing you dearly in the future. Below, we are going to look at some missteps you should avoid to ensure your beneficiaries benefit from the life insurance policy you choose.
Underestimating Your Life Insurance Coverage
When purchasing life insurance, you are required to decide the amount you need to be paid to your beneficiaries. Most people go with an estimate, and in many cases, they only realise they miscalculated when it is too late. Before choosing the value of the pay-out, it is important to do your homework.
This homework will require that you look at a few factors. These generally include your overall health, income, debt, assets, liabilities, life expectancy and age. If you do not have too much debt or have sizable assets, you do not need a large pay-out. However, your situation might be different if your spouse does not work and you have children who need to get through university.
Not Shopping Around
People are swayed by advertisements and recommendations all the time, and that happens when choosing life insurance. Everyone’s situation is different and that is why you should do thorough research and shop around before choosing a life insurance provider. This way, you will understand which insurance provider best matches what you are looking for. Additionally, you will be able to compare quotes and rates provided by different insurance providers.
As you shop around, try your best to provide detailed, accurate information to each provider you are considering. This way you will eliminate as many variables as possible, leaving the insurance provider and the quote they provide as the only variables in your search.
Not Getting Coverage for a Pre-existing Condition
Getting general life insurance is relatively easy and straightforward, but there are other situations where you may need to carefully consider the type of life insurance you are getting to ensure you are adequately covered.
If you have a pre-existing condition such as diabetes, an insurer might be reluctant to offer a pay-out if your death is determined to be due to a condition you did not disclose in your application. It is therefore important that you choose life insurance tailored for any pre-existing conditions you have even though options like life insurance with diabetes might be more expensive than getting general life insurance. This ensures there is no confusion once you pass away.
As you look for diabetes life insurance, do not forget to take advantage of services offered by comparison platforms such as I’m Insured. I’m Insured lets you compare life insurance quotes from over 200 insurance providers regardless of whether you are looking for depression, anxiety, diabetes or high blood pressure life insurance. All you need to do is fill out a form to get started.
Focusing Just on the Price
Life insurance, especially when you have pre-existing conditions, can be costly. This cost is enough to scare people and make them put off getting life insurance. Some may be tempted to reduce their coverage to reduce the premiums they have to pay, but life insurance is very important and it is not something you can cut corners on.
Yes, it is always a good idea to try to get the best quote possible, but once you have it, do the best you can to fulfil this obligation. One way to look at it is the present cost versus future benefit. Is the money you will save now by not paying for life insurance worth the effects your passing away will have on your loved ones? If you need to save money, it would be better to try to find ways to cut back and save more money on other things before thinking of downsizing your insurance or getting inadequate coverage.
Waiting Too Long to Purchase Insurance
It is very easy to put off buying insurance because its benefits cannot be seen or felt easily in the present. However, the longer you take to buy life insurance, the more expensive it gets. Life insurance providers increase the premiums as you get older, even when you are in perfect health. Additionally, your risk of developing a serious condition or illness increases as you grow older and if that unfortunately happens, you might pay more or be denied cover.
Once you decide to get life insurance, it is very important that you carefully consider the options that are available to you and do not put it off. By doing it the right way, you can have peace of mind in knowing your family and loved ones will be okay once you pass away.
