There are several factors that determine life insurance costs within a plan. The cost of a policy can be based on how long you are expected to live as well as your risk category. The three most common risk classifications are preferred, standard, and substandard. The Standard risk class is typically the starting point for underwriting life insurance. It represents a risk comparable to that of others of the same age and gender.
Then, a life insurance underwriter looks for risk factors that may increase or decrease your likelihood of dying before your natural life expectancy. If you have a lower risk of premature death, you may qualify for preferred risk classes. If you have a higher risk, you are assigned substandard risk classes. The higher your risk, the more expensive your life insurance policy will be. The cost of a policy can change based on your age, gender, family medical history, overall health, and your lifestyle choices. This is measured by comparing your stats to those of other people whose lifestyles are similar to yours.
If you are in a high-risk group (substandard), it means that statistically, you are more likely to die at a younger age. As a result, your policy will be more expensive because the insurance company assumes you will pass away younger. Therefore, you’ll make fewer payments than people in a low-risk group. There are some things you can’t change, like your age and your family’s health history, but there are choices you can make that will affect how long you’ll live.
Smoking
People who smoke are more likely to have greater health problems down the road. Some of these health issues would be cancer, heart disease, strokes, lung diseases, diabetes, and asthma. This makes smokers a bigger risk for insurance companies, so your life insurance policy will cost more. Even if you only smoke a few cigarettes every now and then, you are still considered a smoker.
When applying for life insurance, be sure to give honest answers about your life choices. Such as smoking because if it leads to an illness down the road and the company did not know about it, there is a chance your family might not get the money from your life insurance policy. Also, there is a chance that you could also be medically checked before getting insurance. Which could show that you have nicotine in your system.
Note that “smoking” includes more than just cigarettes. It also includes vapes and e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, nicotine replacement therapies. As well as any other way to get nicotine into your body.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol once in a while won’t change your premium, but if you drink often, this is another thing you may need to think about when applying for life insurance. Drinking consistently has been shown to lead to illnesses such as liver disease, cancer, kidney problems, heart problems, and high blood pressure. If a health problem caused by drinking ends up being fatal, the insurance company can void the policy. Unfortunately, this means that your loved ones won’t get the money you worked so hard for.
Risky Hobbies
Your insurance policy will be more expensive if you are considered a high-risk insurance candidate because your chosen ventures could harm you or be fatal.
These activities include scuba diving, hang gliding, race car driving, flying a plane, off-roading, parasailing, bungee jumping, and any extreme sports. Of course, this only applies if you do these things fairly often. If you go scuba diving once in a while, such as when you’re on vacation, it won’t necessarily affect your insurance premium.
Basically, the more often you do these things and the more dangerous they are, then the more likely it will be that they will affect your life insurance premium. We know that these types of activities really keep life interesting and fun, but be sure to keep in mind the risk that comes with it.
Hazardous Job
Your job can also affect how much your life insurance plan costs. This is because your chosen occupation can be considered more dangerous depending on what it entails. For example, someone who works at a desk during regular hours is thought to be less of a risk and therefore pays less. On the other hand, someone like a construction worker would have to pay more. Because their job has more risk factors, such as being on the roof of a tall building or using power tools.
In this case, there isn’t much you can do to reduce the risk, unless you can find a job that is safer and less risky. Most of the time, this is too much to ask, since changing your whole career is usually a very stressful thing to do.
Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
Based on your height, your weight affects how much you pay for life insurance. A build chart is used to figure out how your height and weight compare to each other. Then, your results are compared to the death rates for people who have a similar build. If you are more or less than the preferred ratio, you will be seen as a higher risk and have to pay more for your insurance.
This is because being overweight makes you more likely to have health problems. Such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, or a mental illness. On the other hand, being underweight can cause anemia, osteoporosis, and a weaker immune system.
Something to be aware of is that if you lose or gain weight right before you apply for insurance, it is unlikely your rate will go down. You will have to show that you can consistently keep your weight at a healthy level. You can show that you’ve been working toward a healthier lifestyle by taking up a sport, going to the gym. Or even working with a personal trainer. However, be aware that your insurance rates won’t go down if you make big changes all at once.
Driving Record
Unsafe driving is a factor that can lead to fatality at a young age. Something like receiving multiple speeding tickets would show insurance companies that you are not interested in your own as well as others safety on the road. Also, if you drive carelessly, it may be a sign that you are also careless in other areas of your life.
Insurance companies will be looking at the most recent part of your record. Which is usually the last 5 years when deciphering your policy rates. When they are looking at your record, small parking tickets aren’t considered a large red flag.
Illegal Substance Use
Drugs are bad for your health and can even be lethal. Especially if you are considered an abuser of drugs or take prescription medication constantly. The price of your life insurance will change if you use illegal drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and so on. The medical test you have to take before getting life insurance will show if there are drugs in your system. Whether you said so on your form or not. If you test positive for drug use, you will need to show further proof that you don’t use such substances. Otherwise your application will be denied. Those working on sobriety will have to show that they are not still using illegal drugs in order for an insurance company to consider their application.
The same as the other life choices, if you don’t tell your insurance company about your drug use and then perish in a drug-related accident. Your loved ones will not get the money from your life insurance, even if you’ve paid your premiums overtime.
Frequent Foreign Travel
Traveling has its own risks, which is why if you travel a lot, your life insurance premium might be higher. The price will depend on how often, when, for how long, and where you travel. The destination is important because some countries are safer than others. For example, some countries have higher crime rates or have a higher risk of individuals getting diseases that can kill. The amount of time you spend at your destination and the number of times you travel will also affect your costs as they affect the level of risk. Flying is linked to how often you travel. Since it is a high-risk way to travel, the price of your life insurance policy will go up if you do it often.
Medical History
Your medical history shows how often you go to the hospital or the amount of doctor visits. If you put yourself in dangerous situations often and end up needing medication, surgery, or treatment. This will, of course, affect your insurance.
Work With EZ
At EZ.Insure, we know that you want the best coverage for you and your family. But you also have to stick to a budget. That’s why we’re committed to finding you the best policy at the best price. And we want to make it as easy as possible to do so! We’re here to help, and the best part is that everything we do is free. We will help you with everything. From answering all of your questions to helping you choose a policy and finish the enrollment process. We will also be there to assist you after your plan has started. To get started, just type your zip code into the bar below or give us a call at 877-670-3560.
It’s easy to put off making plans for the end of your life, especially when you’re young. After all, thinking about your own mortality probably isn’t your idea of a good time! In fact, many young Americans don’t have or even think about life insurance unless it’s offered by their employer – but these policies are often inadequate. And what many people don’t realize is that life insurance is definitely something you want to get sooner rather than later, since when you get it will affect your rates and benefit amount. Not sure if it’s the right time for you? There are some simple signs that it is time to buy life insurance!
What Is Life Insurance?
Life insurance is essentially a contract between you and an insurance company. In exchange for premium payments, they promise to pay a lump sum to a beneficiary of your choosing at the time of your passing. This lump sum is called a death benefit. It is most often used for funeral costs or paying off a mortgage or other debts. It can also help to replace the loss of your income.
Policies are cheaper when you’re young and healthy, so getting one sooner rather than later is smart. Beyond getting cheaper premiums, if any of the situations below apply to you, it’s time to start shopping for a policy.
1. Your Income Helps Support Someone
If you earn an income that helps to support someone, you need life insurance, simple as that! And the more money you make, the more life insurance you need. As we mentioned, your job might offer you a life insurance policy, but that policy is a base level of coverage and likely won’t be enough. So how much do you really need? You should look for a policy with a death benefit of at least 6 – 10 times your annual salary. That means if your salary is $50,000, your policy should have a death benefit of around $500,000.
Think of it this way: if you’re part of a couple, you’re most likely planning your life around two incomes. You plan on paying for your mortgage, retirement, and even day-to-day expenses with each other’s incomes in mind. Imagine suddenly losing your loved one and then having to move or completely rebuild your life because you can no longer afford the life you have. That means protecting your partner with life insurance is a must.
2. You Have Kids
If you’re a parent you should already have life insurance. Ideally by the time a life insurance payout comes, your kids will be grown and leading their own lives, but it’s better safe than sorry. It generally takes two incomes to provide for kids. So a sudden loss of income can be devastating, and not just in terms of day-to-day expenses. If the worst does happen, life insurance benefits can be put into a college fund or a savings account to help pay for bigger life expenses that you’d planned to be there for.
3. You Have Debt
When you’re young, you can start racking up some hefty debts that are meant to be paid over a long period of time. You acquire these debts hoping to live a long life and to pay them off long before you’re gone, but you don’t know what the future holds. No matter when you pass away those debts still need to be paid, and they will fall to any family you’ve left behind.
Your debt balance should play a factor when you decide how much life insurance you need. Theoretically you want to leave enough of a death benefit so that your family can pay off your house and other loans, and not have to double their own debts. Getting a robust policy will keep your loved ones from having financial worries on top of handling your loss.
The Takeaway
Life insurance is about protecting your loved ones. It’s hard enough to grieve a loss, and you don’t want to add even more stress to the situation. The best way to find a life insurance policy that protects them is by speaking to an agent. Below we have a list of the top life insurance companies in the nation. All of which offer hassle-free assistance and competitive rates. Shopping around is your best bet, so always check multiple sites to make sure you get the best rate possible. Help protect and provide for your family by checking rates today.
Life insurance is a major part of a family’s financial security, and with the right policy, you can make sure that your family will be protected in case the worst happens. So looking for a policy is the right choice! But you’ll need to apply for a policy, and you should know that life insurance companies consider multiple factors when deciding if they should offer you coverage. They will review your health, finances, driving record, and even your criminal record. And if your record includes a felony or misdemeanor, it’s important that you are honest on your application. So how exactly does a criminal record affect your ability to get a life insurance policy?
Do Life Insurance Companies Ask About Criminal Records?
Insurers will typically do background checks on all applicants, including asking about your criminal record, primarily to prevent insurance fraud. They will also ask about your criminal record to help determine rates and eligibility. This is because, to them, your criminal record is one indicator of the risk they are taking in insuring you. And remember, the higher the risk they consider you, the higher your premiums will be.
Eligibility With A Criminal Record
If you don’t have a completely clean record, it’s natural to wonder if you’ll still be approved for a life insurance policy, or if certain types of crimes will disqualify you from getting a policy. Life insurance is based on risk factors including criminal records, but in many situations you will still be eligible.
Can You Be Denied?
The specifics in your record will matter, and different companies will have different rules for eligibility. For example, repeat offenses might mean being denied a policy. Certain crimes might also make you more likely to be denied, including things like insurance fraud.
If You Are Denied…
It can be very frustrating to deal with a life insurance denial because of past mistakes. But just because you’ve been denied by one company doesn’t mean that all insurers will deny you. Different life insurance companies have different requirements and criteria for providing policies to individuals, so it’s very important to compare different policies from different companies.
There are many great affordable life insurance options to choose from that will provide enough money for your family, for a low monthly price. The best way to find the right life insurance policy for you and your specific needs is by working with an agent who specializes in life insurance. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation below; each offers hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.
Around 1 in 12 people (25 million people) in the US have asthma, and the numbers continue to increase every year. For these 25 million Americans, life insurance might seem like an impossibility because their condition could mean higher premium prices. And while having asthma does affect life insurance because it’s a pre-existing health condition, you probably won’t get denied coverage because of it. The best way to get life insurance if you have asthma is to compare policies offered by different life insurance companies.
When you apply for a life insurance policy, insurers will review your medical history in order to see how healthy you are, and determine if they want to offer you a policy. Pre-existing health conditions mean you’ll be a higher risk to insure for the long term, and since asthma is considered a pre-existing health condition, having it might raise your rates slightly. But it does depend on how severe your asthma is.
If you have asthma and are looking for a policy, insurers will typically ask the following questions:
When were you first diagnosed with asthma?
How frequent are your asthma attacks?
Are you on any medication for it?
Do you take your medication as prescribed?
Have you ever been hospitalized due to your asthma?
Does asthma limit any of your activities?
Do you smoke or have you ever smoked?
After you have answered these questions, the insurer will determine your rate based on several factors, including how severe your asthma is and the insurance company’s policy on asthma. It’s important to remember that different life insurance companies will view different health conditions differently. Some life insurance companies will consider asthma as a more severe condition, while others will not.
Asthma & Life Insurance Classifications
Typically your rate class will be based on the type of asthma you have. If you have Mild Bronchial Asthma, in which your lungs are clear and your asthma is mild, you could be approved at Standard or even Preferred rates.
If you have Moderate Bronchial Asthma, meaning your asthma is chronic, and you have slight wheezing and acute episodes that need to be treated by spray or injections, you may be approved at Standard rates.
If you have Severe Bronchial Asthma, and you exhibit severe episodes of asthma and are treated by hospitalization and chronic steroid use, you may be approved for Substandard rates, which are generally the highest rates.
Your family has financial obligations that will not go away when you are gone; they will need your help more than ever with their expenses, and the last thing you want them to worry about is money while they are grieving. There are many great affordable life insurance options to choose from – even if you have asthma – that will provide enough money for your family, for a low monthly price. The best way to find the right life insurance policy for you and your specific needs is by working with an agent who specializes in life insurance. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation below; each offers hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.
When you apply for life insurance, insurers will usually look into your driving record, credit history, and most importantly, your medical history to determine how much of a risk you are before they offer you a policy. And while they will be somewhat lenient with certain health conditions, with others, they might offer you less coverage, higher premiums, or deny you altogether. Cancer is one of the medical conditions that is considered a red flag for life insurance companies. But even if you are diagnosed with breast cancer or have a family member who is diagnosed with it, it doesn’t mean that you or they can’t get life insurance.
How a breast cancer diagnosis affects your eligibility for life insurance is often determined by what stage the cancer is in. If you have an early-stage form of breast cancer, you might be able to get a policy, but you will most likely have to wait several months to 10 years after completing your treatment before you are approved for a policy. And even if you do qualify by then, you will still most likely have to pay more for your coverage. Then, after you have been cancer-free for 5 years or more, you can qualify for a rate reduction.
If you have stage 3 breast cancer, it may take up to 10 to 15 years before you’re eligible for coverage. And if you have been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, you will have to stick to a guaranteed issue life insurance policy, which maxes out at $50,000, another type of no medical exam policy, or final expense life insurance.
Applying for Life Insurance with a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Because your case is unique when applying for life insurance after you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, there are a couple of steps and tips that you should follow, since not all insurance companies will look at your situation the same way. This is why it’s very important to compare policies from different life insurance companies.
When you apply, make sure that you have your pathology report ready because life insurance companies will ask for it, especially if it is an insurer that requires a medical exam.
And the best way to get as much coverage as you can afford is by looking into different policies, such as a term life insurance policy. You can try and get a long-term policy of 20 to 30 years, but if that is not an option, look into no medical exam life insurance policies. These policies will not require a medical exam, but in return, you will have a smaller coverage amount and will typically pay more in premiums than you would with a permanent life insurance policy. The reason they are more expensive is that, with these policies, insurers will overlook your medical conditions and provide coverage even though you are a high risk.
There are many great affordable life insurance options to choose from that will provide enough money for your family, for a low monthly price. The best way to find the right life insurance policy for you and your specific needs is by working with an agent who specializes in life insurance. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation below; each offers hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.
If you are considering purchasing life insurance, you might be aware that multiple factors go into determining your coverage and premium rates, including your health, driving record, and even your occupation, lifestyle, and hobbies. Your health is often the most important factor, and although not all life insurance companies require a medical exam, most of them, especially the ones that offer permanent or whole life insurance coverage, will require one. The medical exam will check your BMI, blood pressure, and the doctor will also do routine blood tests to check for certain issues that may affect your overall health, as well as check for signs of alcohol use. If you’ve opted for a permanent life insurance policy, it’s important to understand how blood tests work with the underwriting process, and how they affect your coverage.
When life insurance companies decide to take you on as a customer, they also take on your risks, so they will need to know how much of a risk it is to cover you. They will want to know how healthy you are, and whether it is likely that they will need to provide coverage to you for a long time, or if they might only be providing coverage for a limited time because of your health conditions and lowered life expectancy. To determine this, insurers conduct a routine medical exam to determine your overall health, and will decide your premium rate based on your results.
The Importance of Blood Tests
The reason that you will have to undergo blood tests is that they are a very reliable way of determining your overall health and finding issues that can’t be seen with the naked eye. Blood tests can reveal genetic mutations, as well as underlying conditions, like high cholesterol, high blood sugar, liver and kidney problems, and even cancer.
Another thing to be aware of is that the blood tests you will be given will also reveal if your alcohol consumption is higher than average; even if you have simply consumed any alcohol before having your blood tested, your results could end up negatively affecting your premium rates. For example, your blood pressure will rise if you have consumed alcohol within the 12 hours before your appointment, and if you have been drinking heavily for a long period of time, you will be more likely to have health problems. In this case, if an insurer does approve you for a policy, you will have to pay a higher premium for your coverage.
To get the best possible results from your blood test, try not to consume any alcohol 48 hours before the exam, stay hydrated, and avoid caffeine. If you have a drinking problem, consider seeking help, which will not only benefit your health, but will also lower your life insurance rates.
If You Are Denied Life Insurance
Life insurance companies all rate the risk of different medical conditions in different ways. So if you are denied because of a medical condition, there might be another insurer that will provide you with coverage. Remember, too, that there are several different types of policies to choose from that will offer your family protection when you are gone. For example, if you get rejected for permanent life insurance, you could still apply for a different type of policy, such as term life insurance, simplified issue life insurance, or final expense life insurance. You will be accepted for simplified issue life insurance even if you have a pre-existing condition, because this type of coverage does not require a medical exam. The possibilities are endless when it comes to getting a life insurance policy, all you have to do is shop around and work with an agent.
Looking For A Policy?
Your family has financial obligations that will not go away when you’re gone; they will need your help more than ever with their expenses, and the last thing you want them to worry about is money while they are grieving. There are many great affordable life insurance options to choose from that will provide enough money for your family, for a low monthly price. The best way to find the right life insurance policy for you and your specific needs is by working with an agent who specializes in life insurance. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation below; each offers hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.
