Life insurance can be highly beneficial to you and your loved ones, especially since you never know what can happen. Although, trying to figure out how much of a life insurance policy you’ll need can get confusing.
LIMRA has found that amid the pandemic, 6 in 10 consumers have a heightened awareness and value of life insurance and that more than half of Americans overestimate the cost of actual life insurance.
The pandemic has indeed paved the way for change, including how people shop and think about life insurance. So how much should a life insurance policy cost? How about a million-dollar life insurance policy? Is it even worth paying for?
Below is helpful information to help you understand what the policy entails, what its costs are, and who should buy it
It may be time to start finding the answer to your questions and considering this million-dollar life insurance policy or other ones.
What is a million-dollar life insurance policy?
Life insurance in general is a policy that helps keep your loved ones financially looked after once you are no longer around. There are many types of insurance policies, including the million-dollar insurance policy.
This policy ensures that when you die, your family or a beneficiary will receive a financial payout from the company you purchased it from, a million dollars to be exact.
When you submit an application and it is accepted by an insurance company, you will pay monthly premiums which will be used by the company to pay your beneficiary or family when you are no longer there to provide for them.
A million dollars seems like a ton of money, but when you think about your situation, your family’s needs, and the cost of living in today’s world, a million dollars may just be enough to replace the income you made.
What are the advantages?
With any life insurance policy, there are several advantages to obtaining one that could benefit the policyholder.
These advantages include:
- Your family will be covered financially in the case that you are no longer there to support them
- Million-dollar life insurance policies are quite affordable depending on your policy, length of policy, age, and health
- Beneficiaries can use the payout to pay for funeral and burial expenses
- Any debts can be paid off without your family having to stress over it
What are the disadvantages?
Although there are many benefits to a million-dollar life insurance policy, there are also a couple of disadvantages.
These include:
- Those who opt for the whole life policy will probably have very high premiums
- Most companies will require you to take a medical exam so if you have underlying conditions, your premium may be higher
For million-dollar life insurance policies, the advantages do seem to outweigh the disadvantages, so don’t let the high costs scare you.
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How much does it cost?
The name might suggest that it costs a million dollars for a million-dollar policy. That isn’t the case. When it comes to figuring out the cost of this policy, many factors come into play.
Overall, million-dollar life insurance policies can be on the low-cost side, depending on your situation. Monthly premiums can range from as low as $30 to as high as the hundreds.
If you are relatively healthy, you can have the lowest monthly premium. If you are a male, have bad health, and opt for the longer policy, then your monthly premiums can be in the hundreds.
Type of Policy
The type of policy you buy can affect how expensive your monthly premiums will be. Some policies are more costly than others. The two most common policies are term insurance and permanent insurance (whole life insurance).
- Term life insurance is set on a number of years and is the cheaper of the two. If you get this policy, then you will receive coverage for a limited time. If you pass on during your policy period, then your beneficiaries will get the payout.
- Whole life insurance is exactly what it sounds like: it covers the entirety of your life. Since its coverage runs indefinitely, it is more expensive than term life insurance.
Length of Policy
This is sort of similar to the type of policy you get. Policies that last longer in years are going to be more expensive. Shorter-term policies will cost less. 30-year terms cost more than 20 and 10-year terms, of course.
Health
To be approved for most life insurance policies, the company will require you to have a medical exam. If you have any underlying health conditions or a chronic condition, then your policy rate will go up.
Age
Younger people, both male and female, will have lower premiums than older people. A healthy, young woman can have a million-dollar monthly premium payment of $40 or less. A young male can have around the same price, but a bit higher because of their gender.
Gender
Statistically, women live longer than men, so life insurance policies for men will be more expensive than insurance policies for women.
Who would need one?
While not everyone would benefit from having a million-dollar life insurance policy, some people would greatly benefit from having this policy.
To determine if you need a life insurance policy, you’ll want to look closely at your situation and the needs of your family in the case that you pass on.
Here are a few instances where a million-dollar life insurance policy would be handy:
- Paying off a hoard of debt from medical bills, student loans, or credit card use
- Providing a stable income for a large family if you were the major wage earner
- Paying off college education for your children (especially if their school’s tuition is expensive)
- Providing funds for a spouse’s or children’s retirement
- Paying off an expensive mortgage loan
While a million-dollar life insurance policy isn’t needed for everyone, there are instances (like the ones above) that require you to be prepared for anything.
Once you know what you’d be responsible for, use a life insurance calculator to determine whether a million-dollar policy is best for you.
Here’s the bottom line
If you are trying to decide whether to purchase a life insurance policy, just remember that it is always better to make sure your family and loved ones are financially secure if you were to pass on.
In the event of your death, your million-dollar life insurance policy will ensure that the company pays a death benefit of a million dollars to the beneficiary (most often, the family).
The costs of this type of insurance vary on many factors: age, health, type of policy, length of policy, and gender. If you are a younger, healthier individual, your premium will be much lower than a person in their 50s who may have underlying health conditions.
Determining whether you would need to buy this policy depends on your financial situation and how much impact your income has on your family.
Being insured is probably the best way to go. So, your best bet is to access your situation and start looking for life insurance companies offering low rates on policies.
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