Different Types of Life Insurance Explained
Life insurance is a financial contract between an insurer (the company) and an insured person (you). The purpose of life insurance in the U.S. is to protect your finances in the case of death or disability. This protection is provided by paying out a certain sum of money to the beneficiaries or using the money to cover mortgage and loans in the event of your death. Discussed below are the various types of life insurance available: 1. Variable life insurance Variable life insurance involves investing the premium money into income-generating assets. The premiums on variable life insurance rise over time based on the performance of investments made by the insurer. When you decide to buy a policy, you select what level of risk with which you are comfortable. Higher interest earnings mean lower initial premiums, but also a chance to decrease later. 2. Whole life insurance Whole life insurance is one of the most traditional life insurance policies and a form of permanent life insurance. In this type of policy, the premium amount remains constant throughout your lifetime. As such, you can use it as long as you want. There are two main benefits associated with this insurance — lower premiums and tax advantages.