If you don’t get life insurance through work or want to purchase more coverage than your employer offers, it pays to do your homework. They evaluate life insurers on financial strength, customer complaints, policy options and riders, and ease of application.
A high financial stability rating adds value, and a smooth claims process can mean the world to grieving beneficiaries. Compare these metrics and other important factors to find the best Life Insurance Companies Las Vegas.
Life insurance is a way for you to protect your loved ones against financial hardship in the event of your death. It pays a lump sum to your beneficiaries upon your death in exchange for premium payments you pay during your lifetime. It can help your family cover funeral expenses, living costs, lost wages, debts, mortgages, and more. While no amount of money can ease the grief of losing a loved one, life insurance can help your family get by without you.
The most important aspect of life insurance is the death benefit, which is a lump-sum payment that your beneficiary or beneficiaries receive upon your death. You can choose to buy a policy that has a guaranteed face amount or one that increases in size over time, depending on your needs. The policy can also offer living benefits, such as a cash value that you can borrow against or use for special expenditures (such as an education fund) or even transfer to another company, subject to certain restrictions and limitations.
Many people choose to purchase life insurance in order to provide a financial safety net for their families in the event of their unexpected death. It is also an excellent tool to help with estate planning and to supplement retirement savings. However, deciding on the type and amount of coverage you need can be difficult. A life insurance calculator is a useful tool to help you determine the best coverage for your unique situation.
There are several factors that influence the cost of life insurance, including your health, lifestyle and driving history. In addition, some occupations and hobbies can increase the risk of death, which may result in higher rates. Generally, the younger and healthier you are, the lower your rate will be. Many employers offer group life insurance as part of their employee benefits, and it can be an affordable option for those who do not want to pay out of pocket. You can also find independent insurance brokers who specialize in life insurance to shop around for the best deal on your coverage.
Premiums
A life insurance company promises to pay a lump sum known as the death benefit to beneficiaries when the policyholder dies. In exchange, the policyholder pays premiums that the insurance company uses to cover outstanding liabilities and make sure beneficiaries receive the payouts they’re owed. Premiums also help life insurers cover operating expenses like salaries, benefits and office space. Some life insurers use a portion of premiums to invest in the company, which can boost future earnings.
Each life insurance company weighs different factors differently when evaluating applications. They might consider your age, gender, medical history, occupational hazards and high-risk hobbies when calculating the cost of premiums. The younger you are, the less your premium will be. However, many life insurance companies will increase your premiums as you grow older to reflect a decrease in your life expectancy.
Depending on the type of life insurance coverage you choose, you may have to pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Some policies even offer a one-time payment option, called a single premium policy. Some insurers will allow you to add riders to your policy, which can alter the way a death benefit is paid out and increase your premium.
While it’s important to choose a life insurance policy that meets your needs, you should also be mindful of how much you can afford. Choosing a premium amount that’s above your financial ability can cause your policy to lapse, which means your beneficiaries will not receive the death benefit. In most cases, you can reinstate your lapsed policy by paying the overdue premium plus interest within a grace period.
While each life insurance company’s evaluation process is unique, most will require you to take a medical exam and submit your medical records to assess the level of risk you pose. A company might refuse to sell you a policy if it believes your health or habits are too high of a risk. In such a case, you might be able to find another company that offers life insurance coverage with more flexible underwriting and acceptable health criteria.
Riders
While life insurance is typically seen as a death benefit, it can also provide financial protection during the insured’s lifetime. Riders add to a policy and can offer supplemental coverage during specific life events, such as an accidental death or a chronic or terminal illness. However, riders do come with an extra cost and should be carefully considered before they are added to a life insurance policy. An experienced financial advisor can help you consider if life insurance riders fit into your family’s financial planning goals.
Most life insurance companies allow their customers to customize their policies with riders. However, the availability and cost of riders varies by life insurance company and policy type. Riders can include additional death benefits, accelerated payments, premium waivers and other features. Some riders are permanent, while others are temporary and may be subject to conditions, such as needing a medical exam or age limits.
The most common riders are available on term and whole life insurance policies and include options such as accidental death and a disability waiver of future premiums. These riders typically pay a small death benefit in the event of an accident or can waive future premiums on the main breadwinner’s policy in the case of a disabling condition. Other riders can be added to a whole life or term policy, such as children’s and spouse’s riders that pay out a small death benefit in the event of their deaths.
Some riders are considered living benefits and can be accessed during the insured’s lifetime. These can include riders that accelerate the death benefit in the event of a critical or chronic illness, as well as long-term care and retirement income riders. These can be a great way to supplement a pension or social security benefit, or even help pay for long-term care expenses. These riders will usually increase the death benefit of a policy and can be paid out on a lump sum basis or as an ongoing monthly payout. They can also be a good way to avoid the expense and hassle of applying for a new life insurance policy when a qualifying event occurs.
Claims
When a policyholder dies, beneficiaries file a claim with the life insurance company to collect the death benefit. Usually this involves submitting a certified copy of the death certificate and completing a short claims form. The life insurer typically reviews the claim and the death certificate and might investigate the cause of death to ensure that it is covered under the terms of the policy. Most companies process the claim within a week once they have all of the necessary information.
It is important for beneficiaries to get in touch with the life insurance company as soon as possible after a loved one’s death. This is especially important because the company may not know that the person died, and it will need to verify the death before it can pay the benefit. The financial representative who handled the life insurance policy can help you with this, or you can contact the company’s customer service department. The representatives will explain the specifics of how to submit a claim, and they can also provide or point you to the appropriate forms.
Most life insurance policies have a two-year contestability period, which means that the insurance company can review the information on the application to look for fraud or material misrepresentation. This can delay the life insurance payout if the insurance company discovers that the policyholder gave false information on the application. In addition, life insurance companies will often review the cause of death to ensure that it isn’t a suicide.
Depending on the type of life insurance policy, there are different rules about who can be designated as a beneficiary. In general, spouses, children and other relatives can be named as beneficiaries on a life insurance policy. However, the beneficiary designations in a life insurance policy are not legally binding and can be changed at any time. If a beneficiary is deceased, the life insurance company will send a check to the next in line according to the beneficiary list on the policy. If there is no named beneficiary, the benefits will go to the estate, which includes any debts owed by the insured’s family.