Do people over 50 years old have any choices if they want to buy life insurance? Today, insurers consider older people a big market, and they do provide many different products. Because people are actually living longer and more productive lives today, rates may be actually be affordable too. It is certainly possible for baby boomers and seniors to find a policy if they want it.

Why would people over 50 even want to buy a policy? When we were younger, we probably purchased term because it was cheaper. We were told that at the end of 20 or 30 years we would not need coverage any more because our savings would cover us. We thought our kids would be on their own, and our mortgage would be paid off. At 30, those 2 or 3 decades of term coverage seem life forever.

This was all a nice thought. But in fact, that did not work out well for many of us. Those kids are still not taking care of themselves. It is very common for grown kids to come home, and sometimes they come with their own kids. That mortgage we planned to pay off may have been for a home we don’t even live in now. Or because of financial problems, we may have needed to take out a second mortgage. We are happy to have outived the term of our policy, but we find that we did not outlive our need for a policy.

So, why don’t we have life insurance? Well, that term policy only lasted for 20 or 30 years. Thankfully, we outlived it. Or we had group coverage at work, but we are not at that job any more. We are older now, but we do not have any coverage.

Who buys life insuramce after 50? People have different reasons for wanting a policy. You must understand your options, what different insurance can do for you, and then you will be able to buy the right coverage for you.

For pure insurance, consider term again. Since term premiums will be lower, it will be possible to purchase a higher death benefit. People at 50, or sometimes even up to their 70s, can still find these policies if they are in reasonably good health. The lower cost is not trivial either.

If you are sure you want term now, you may look for a policy you can convert to whole life later. This gives you the benefit of buying lower priced coverage today, but also being able to change your mind in a few years if things change. You should not have to answer more health questions to convert the policy. Since none of us are totally sure how things will be in 10 or 20 years, this is a good feature to have.

If you want to use your policy to build an asset for yourself, or for your family, you probably want to consider whole life. After time, it can build a cash value which can be handy. You could use it to borrow against, cash in, or in a life settlement transaction. In any case, you will have lifetime coverage.

How much will this cost you. Premiums will vary by many factors. These include the size of the death benefit, the type of insurance, your age, and your general health. An experienced insurance agent should be able to help you explore your options. Just be careful if they seem too concentrated on one type of policy.

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Most people will be able to benefit from life insurance. It supports its beneficiaries financially and brings peace of mind to the policy holder. Here are a few reasons for why you need to get life insurance.

Most obviously, life insurance can provide for your family in the event of your death. It essentially works like this: in return for your monthly premiums, the insurance company agrees to pay a lump sum to your beneficiaries (the person or people you designate to receive the death benefit).

Your beneficiaries are not restricted in how they use this money. That means that even if you die, your family can pay off debt, keep their home, go to college - in essence, your family will be able to maintain its lifestyle without your assistance. Of course, all this depends on which type and how much life cover you choose to buy.

In some instances, the benefit may be used to pay off money you owe. Some people may choose to link their largest debts to a decreasing term insurance policy due to the magnitude of their debts. For instance, a decreasing term policy covering a home debt will charge lower premiums as the the home loan is paid off. The insurance company will pay the remaining amount to the bank should death occurs before the loan has been fully paid.

If you wish to your death benefit to cover more than outstanding debt, consider whole life insurance. With this type of cover, you make premium payments over the course of your life. You may choose to pay level payments or arrange to pay higher premiums at the beginning of the policy which will allow you to stop making the payments at 60, 65 or 85 and retain your coverage. In return for your payments, the insurance company will pay a death benefit in the amount you choose to your beneficiaries upon your death, regardless of how long you held the policy.

South Africa is only one of two countries where life insurance is available for people who have tested positive for HIV or have AIDs. The premiums are slightly more expensive and the insurance companies will need policy holders to continue with anti HIV therapy.

Make sure that you deal with reputable and dependable companies that are known to honor their payout agreements. Most experts recommend checking with more than four companies to find out about the different options and plans in the market.

Bear in mind that a life insurance policy may be the only protection your family has from financial hardship in the event if an unexpected death. The peace of mind coming from the knowledge that your family will be provided for more than offsets any inconvenience you may experience now.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator at lifeinsurance-southafrica.co.za. South Arica’s leading Life Insurance portal

If you need a list of reasons to get life insurance, here are a few to get you started. Life insurance is one of those things that few people could fail to benefit from. It offers peace of mind to the policy holder and financial support to its beneficiaries.

The most obvious part of life insurance is that in the event of your death, it will help to provide for your family. It works as simply as this: because you have been paying your monthy premiums, the company that holds your insurance policy will agree to pay a specified lump sum of cash to the benificiary listed on your policy (this is the person or people you designate to receive the death benefits).

That means that even if you die, your family can pay off debt, keep their home, go to college - in essence, your family will be able to maintain its lifestyle without your assistance. Of course, all this depends on which type and how much life cover you choose to buy.Your beneficiaries are not restricted in how they use this money.

In some cases, the payout is used to pay off specific debt. Because debt can be a large part of our financial picture, many people choose to link their largest debt obligations to a decreasing term insurance policy. For example, if you choose to cover your home loan with decreasing term cover, your premiums for this cover will decrease as you make your loan installment payments. If you die before the loan is paid in full, the insurance company will pay the balance of the loan directly to the bank.

If you wish to your death benefit to cover more than outstanding debt, consider whole life insurance. With this type of cover, you make premium payments over the course of your life. You may choose to pay level payments or arrange to pay higher premiums at the beginning of the policy which will allow you to stop making the payments at 60, 65 or 85 and retain your coverage. In return for your payments, the insurance company will pay a death benefit in the amount you choose to your beneficiaries upon your death, regardless of how long you held the policy.

South Africa is only one of two countries where life insurance is available for people who have tested positive for HIV or have AIDs. The premiums are slightly more expensive and the insurance companies will need policy holders to continue with anti HIV therapy.

Be sure to deal with well known, reliable companies with a history of making the payouts they have agreed to. Most experts suggest approaching at least five companies to educate yourself about the different life insurance plans and options available.

Bear in mind that a life insurance policy may be the only protection your family has from financial hardship in the event if an unexpected death. The peace of mind coming from the knowledge that your family will be provided for more than offsets any inconvenience you may experience now.