There are a lot of factors people should take into consideration when searching for the ideal policy.

First of all, what punch in of life insurance do you need?

(And if youre thinking, Holy moly, there are different types?!

A grandfather has a cute moment with his grandson as they touch noses.

dont worry, youre not alone.)

When Insurance Falls Short…

Unfortunately, insurance doesnt covereverything.These resourcescan help you manage those unexpected expenses.

Article image

Second, consider your specific conditions and lifestyle choices.

Are you a smoker?

you’re gonna wanna double-check youre being treated fairly and finding the best deal.

Article image

Dont be intimidated by the jargon, the options or the decisions related to your passing away.

Were here to tell you everything you gotta know.

Thenyou can save moneyby purchasing your life insurance through them, too.

Yep, State Farm rewards you for buying multiple insurance products through them.

Power has ranked State Farm as the life insurance company withthe highest customer satisfactiononce again.

you’re able to select a 10-, 20- or 30-year term for $250,000.

The policy is renewable up to age 95 and can be converted to a whole life program.

Best Whole Life Insurance Policy: Northwestern Mutual

My favorite thing aboutNorthwestern Mutualswhole life insurance?

No two peoples needs are the same, so why should everyone have the same plan?

This is just one of many riders, and Northwestern Mutual offers more riders than most of its competitors.

You also have a number of payment options.

Protective stands out because it offers something called Custom Choice UL (Universal Life) Insurance.

UL insurance is already known for being customizable, but this policy kicks things up a notch.

At first, the Custom Choice UL policy looks like term life insurance.

You choose a set amount of time you want your premiums and death benefit to remain stagnant.

When the time frame ends after, say, 30 years, your premiums stay the same.

However, your death benefit amount slowly decreases.

(Youd be surprised how much it costs to be put in the ground or cremated!)

Theres an age limit when youre buying burial insurance.

Mutual of Omahas minimum age requirement is 45, while many companies dont start until age 50.

If you want to get a jump on things,Mutual of Omahais a great choice.

With Mutual of Omaha, you’re able to get coverage up to $25,000.

Most insurers classify you as a non-smoker if you havent smoked for at least 12 months.)

Thinking you’re able to just lie on your system and say you dont smoke?

Well, thats called insurance fraud, and I dont recommend it.

Thankfully,Transamericacan make things easier for you.

Smokers probably wont be able to find lower prices anywhere else.

Just double-check youve been tobacco-free for two years to get the non-smoker rate.

If customer service is important to you, you may want to consider another option.

Power, so it didnt make it onto this list.

Still, its worth getting a life insurance quote from both companies.

If you dont have a mortgage, spouse or kids, why bother buying now?

Well, the younger and healthier you are, the lower your premiums will be.

A buck or two may not seem like a notable difference depending on your income.

Its not available to most people.

A major exception to this is life insurance: Anyone not just active duty members and veterans can apply.

That said,USAAhas some particularly appealing benefits for members who are currently serving their country.

Types of Life Insurance

Keep in mind that numerous sub-categories exist.

However, there are two main types you should know about: term and permanent.

Which is best for you?

Drowning in Expenses?

Maybe youre scrambling after your car broke down.

Or you got a medical bill you werent expecting.

Or inflation has finally pushed your budget over the edge.

You dont need to go it alone.

When money is tight,these resourcescan help you manage unexpected expenses without stress.

Its your most affordable option.

We Penny Hoarders love to save a cent here and there.

With term policies, you pay fewer fees and receive fewer benefits than with a permanent policy.

A term policy doesnt have any cash value.

If you live past the set term, your family wont get any payout when you do pass away.

However, thats not always the case.

If you have doubts, its time to look into permanent life insurance.

Permanent Life Insurance

Term life insurance is only valid for a set amount of time.

Permanent, on the other hand, lasts for your entire life.

This means that youll pay premiums for the duration of your life.

There are two main categories of permanent life insurance: whole and universal.

Whole life insurance provides financial consistency, while universal life insurance provides financial flexibility.

Unlike term, however, whole life insurance also has cash value.

Youre set for life.

Whether you die at age 30 or age 90, your family will receive death benefits.

Whole life insurance doesnt have the time restraints a term policy does.

These policies also have cash value.

You have a lot of options for how to use this cash value.

At any time, you could trade in your plan and forfeit coverage to receive the cash.

(That last one is pretty cool!)

Oh, and your cash value is tax-deferred.

The main downfall is the price.

The big question is, Is the price worth it?

You have to pay fees if you trade in your coverage for the cash value.

You knew it had to be too good to be true, didnt you?

You dont get all the cash youve accumulatedyou have to pay fees.

The amount youll pay in fees depends on the company.

Your loved ones wont see the cash value.

Your family still only receives the death benefit.

you’re able to increase the death benefits.

you could upgrade your plan without having to get a new policy, which is a huge relief.

Keep in mind, universal has most of the same cons as whole life insurance.

There is one more main thing to consider, though.

If you arent exactly a pro, this could be intimidating.

It is always a better idea to ask questions early rather than when you gotta place a claim.

There isnt one magical life insurance company thats best for everyone.

(Although that would be amazing, wouldnt it?)

Different people benefit from certain policies and services.

Weve takenAM Bests financial strength ratingsinto account.

All of the companies on this list are rated either A, A+ or A++.

Ratings of A- and A are considered excellent, while A+ and A++ are superior.

Financial strength becomes a lot less impressive if other aspects of a company are subpar.

Thats why customer service and experience is such an important thing to take into account.

Weve evaluated these companies customer satisfaction and reputation by looking at information such as theirJ.D.

After scoring the companies, J.D.

Power labels each insurer as among the best, better than most, about average and the rest.

Power does not rank USAA in its life insurance studies.

However, the well-known brand has an incredibly high Net Promoter Score, which also measures customer satisfaction.

We felt it was important to consider USAA because of its specific benefits for military members.

When it comes down to it, a lot of the largest life insurance companies offer very similar plans.

In these cases, some individuals simply choose the option thats most affordable for them.

Who knew there was so much to consider when choosing the best life policies?

Swipe Like a Millionaire No Gold Card Required

Ever wondered how millionaires get to be… millionaires?

So we looked into it.

What we found aresimple, millionaire-approved tipsthat anyone can use to manage their money.