When you're buying term life insurance, you may get stumped on how long to secure your policy for. Perhaps ten years is enough? Perhaps twenty-five? Or all the way up to thirty?
In this case, figuring out the answer is actually quite simple. We buy life insurance to protect our families and dependents from having to deal with our financial burdens when we've passed. The œterm part comes in to determine how long you should secure your policy for!
The best term length is not a one-size-fits-all proposition - but here are a few tips to help you decide how long your term should be for.
Evaluate Your Financial Commitments
Financial commitments include things like your mortgage, college expenses, and other big-ticket items that you'll pay in the future. You'll want to ensure that your life insurance covers, and even extends, beyond your 15-year mortgage. Most people want to make sure that their term life insurance is in effect while those debts are being paid, as a mortgage is often reliant on the idea that there will be two salaries coming in!
Consider Your Dependents
Since children are the most dependent of all dependents, a popular term is one that will cover the time between now and the age your children will reach adulthood. You may consider a term policy that sees your child through, up until adulthood.
What You Can Afford
The longer a term life insurance is, the greater the annual premiums. If you know you need a certain dollar amount of life insurance coverage but cannot afford a decades-long policy, one option is to buy for a short term then renew after it is completed.
For tailored life insurance coverage, contact Jack Stone Insurance Agency to secure all of your policies in the Antioch and Brentwood areas in California!
