Understanding Life Insurance
We hear a great deal about life insurance today: how important it is for every family to have it, how devastating it can be to be without it when a loved one dies unexpectedly, and how the right life insurance policy can stand in the gap for us financially at a time when everything else in our lives seems to be falling apart.
While the thought of our own eventual death is never a pleasant thought, the recognition that death will come to every one of us one day allows us to shift our focus from ourselves to other important matters that will need to be addressed when the inevitable happens. Such issues as our family’s security, our own burial costs and other final expenses, the medical bills we may leave behind, and a multitude of other needs that will likely go unmet in the absence of a life insurance policy loom large.
Protection For Loved Ones
Few of us have trouble understanding why a person might require life insurance; yet, we may still ask, “Exactly what is life insurance?” If we are to understand the many ways that a life insurance policy can help us or our loved ones during a time of loss, we must first grasp a few basic facts about a topic that many find mystifying. We will then be able to make an informed decision about whether or not we need life insurance and if so, which type is most appropriate to our needs.
In brief, life insurance is a monetary benefit paid to an individual’s chosen beneficiary at the time of his or her death. Depending on the type of policy the insured person selects, policy payouts are intended to accomplish one or more of the following purposes:
- Cover the insured individual’s final expenses and bills
- Pay the medical bills of the deceased
- Provide for dependent members of the deceased’s family
- Fund the education of the deceased’s children or grandchildren
- Provide for the care of an ill or disabled family member
- Prevent a business the insured person owns from going bankrupt
- Pay off a mortgage on the family’s home once the breadwinner has died
The aforementioned examples are just several of the main reasons why life insurance is essential for those who have any sort of financial obligations
What Role Does Life Insurance Play in My Life?
As you consider the answer to the question “What is life insurance?” you will want to learn as much as possible about the various types of life insurance available. This will help you decide which type is best for you. Because different types of life insurance policies provide differing benefits, studying the various policy types online and comparing their similarities and differences will help arm you for the crucial decisions that lie ahead.
