Aug 1, 20203 min read

What Exactly is Term Insurance?

Term insurance is a type of life insurance policy that provides coverage for a certain period of time or a specified "term" of years. If the insured dies during the time period specified in the policy and the policy is active, or in force, a death benefit will be paid.

Term insurance is initially much less expensive when compared to permanent life insurance. Unlike most types of permanent insurance, term insurance has no cash value. In other words, the only value is the guaranteed death benefit from the policy.

Understanding Term Insurance

There are various types of term insurance policies available. Many policies offer level premiums for the duration of the policy, such as ten, 20, or 30 years. These are often referred to as "level term" policies. A premium is a specific cost, which is typically monthly, that insurance companies charge policyholders to provide the benefits that come with the insurance policy.

The insurance company calculates the premiums based on the individual's health, age, and life expectancy. A medical exam that reviews the person's health and family medical history might be required depending on the policy chosen.

The premiums are fixed and paid for the length of the term. If the policyholder dies prior to the expiration of the policy, the insurance company will pay out the face value of the policy. If the term expires and the individual dies afterward, there would be no coverage or payout. However, policyholders can extend or renew the insurance, but the new monthly premium will be based on the person's age and health at the time of the renewal. As a result, the premiums could be higher for the renewed policy versus the original term policy that was initiated when the individual was younger.

Premiums can range depending on the age and the amount of payout. For example, a 30-year policy with a $250,000 payout can range from $15 per month for a person in their twenties to less than $60 per month for someone in their fifties. Of course, each insurance company might have different rates depending on the policyholder's health, history of smoking, and other factors.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Term insurance is a type of life insurance policy that provides coverage for a certain period of time or a specified "term" of years.
If the insured dies during the time period specified in a term policy and the policy is active, a death benefit will be paid.
Many term policies offer level premiums for the duration of the policy.
Other term policies offer decreasing or increasing benefits over time as well as the option to convert from term to permanent insurance.

Types of Term Insurance

There are various types of term insurance besides the level term policies we've outlined so far. Each policy has its pros and cons, depending on the needs of the policyholder.

Convertible Term

Convertible term life insurance allows a term insurance policy, which has a limited number of years before expiring, to convert into whole life or permanent insurance. The major benefit of convertible insurance is that the policyholder doesn't have to submit to a medical exam, nor are any health conditions considered when the term policy converts to permanent insurance.

Increasing Term

Some policies allow you to increase the death benefit as time goes on. The premium increases as well, but it allows policyholders to pay lower premiums early on in life when they have a lot of bills and expenses. The increasing term prevents having to qualify for another policy at an older age to get the added benefit as would be the case with traditional term insurance.

Mortgage Term or Decreasing Term

A mortgage term or decreasing term policy is the opposite of the increasing term because the death benefit amount decreases over time. The goal is to match the decline of the term benefit to the reduction of the policyholder's outstanding mortgage. The idea behind this strategy is that you don't need as much life insurance if you have less mortgage debt. However, although the premiums are smaller than term insurance, the premium payments remain constant even as the benefit declines.

Annual Renewable

As each year passes, the term insurance is renewed but for a higher premium since the policyholder is a year older. The benefit to annual renewable term insurance is that the coverage is guaranteed to be approved each year. However, it may not be the most cost-effective for everyone due to the increased costs over time.