Choosing Between Term and Whole Life Insurance

When a citizen in United States opts for a life insurance plan, he or she will have a couple of options to choose from. The choices are term life insurance plan and whole life insurance plan. To understand the difference it is necessary learning about both types of insurances and their benefits and drawbacks in comparison to each other.

Whole Life Insurance
So what is whole life insurance? Basically it is the life insurance plan that remains in force for the entire life time of the insured client.

Basic Difference between the Two Plans
Basic differences between the term life and whole life insurance plans are as follows.
- A term insurance covers specified subscription period.
- Whole life insurance will remain in force throughout the life of the insured person.
- In case of term insurance the premiums get higher with the passage of time since as the insured becomes older, the risks are greater as well.
- Term insurance can be renewed every year but may be more expensive due to growing premium dues.

Major Deficiency of Term Insurance Plan

One of the major deficiencies of term insurance plan is that if the insured dies after the expiry of the term, beneficiaries will neither get the premiums nor the death benefits. Stipulations in term insurance are always that benefits will accrue only if the insured dies during the term.

Features of Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance is ideal for addressing the issues in term life insurance policies that would negatively affect the beneficiaries. Major benefits of whole life insurance policies are as follows.
- Death benefits are assured irrespective of the time of the death of the beneficiary.
- Also if someone asks what is whole life insurance then it could be safely answered that it is one in which not only the benefits are assured but the premiums are calculated in advance; and
- It is ideal for people who are concerned with benefits for the nominees or beneficiaries in case of his or her death.

Cash Value Considerations

It is also pertinent to understand the cash value considerations relating to term life insurance and whole life insurance. Such considerations will help the prospective beneficiaries to realize what whole life insurance is and avail its benefits.

- Initial premiums in whole life insurance may be higher than the term life insurance;
- However, the premiums of term life insurance plan will become higher as the time passes;
- At a particular age of 45-50 the premiums of term life insurance will become greater than the whole life insurance; and
- Thus on the cash value determination, whole life insurance gives greater advantages in long term to the insured.

Both types of insurances have their respective advantages and disadvantages but knowing about them will help the beneficiary to make the right choice.