Posts Tagged ‘baby boomers’

Older Seniors Buying Life Insurance Products

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Can you believe how many seniors do not have a life insurance policy?

There may be some people who never bought a policy, but I think most younger people purchase coverage at some point. They tend to let it lapse or expire without replacing it. Some workers get covered through jobs, but then quit or retire, and then lose the employee benefits. But just because older people lack coverage does not mean they do not want or desire that coverage. Some could use it to help settle a business, pass on wealth, or even pay for a funeral. Older people can still find reasons to purchase a policy!

No matter what the reason, lots of mature people, from the middle aged to the elderly, are looking for more life insurance. Life insurance companies are responding with insurance products that are designed for older clients. Actually, many older people can find rates that are fairly affordable, especially if they are still in reasonable health. But older people, even with health problems, can still find coverage. Of course, a normal insurance policy will cost more for a sixty year old than it would for a thirty year old, all other things being equal, but older people can have many things in their favor.

There are many things that a senior can do to keep premiums lower too. Good health habits are one key. Insurers usually offer the best rates to people who do not smoke, and who keep themselves fit. Many seniors have lived for many years because they have adopted good health habits. They may also take care of their financial life. Many top insurers look into credit reports too.

One more thing to consider when looking for life insurance for an older adult is that the amount of coverage, or life insurance need, may be less. Mature people may not need to cover the whole mortgage or plan for their children’s education anymore. Instead of having to consider a policy with a death benefit of hundreds of thousands of dollars, a few thousand dollars may be enough. Maybe a mature person just wants to leave their family enough money to pay for a funeral and settle debts, with perhaps a little left over as an estate. Instead of looking for life insurance policies with death benefits in the hundreds of thousands, a few tens of thousands may be enough life insurance coverage! Life insurance companies are more willing to offer policies to older, and perhaps sicker, people if the face value is lower because their risk is less. And of course, the cost of insurance will be less when the amount is smaller.

Term life insurance is popular with younger families because it usually has the lowest monthly premiums. However and older person who is looking for a smaller face value policy will usually buy a permanent policy like whole life or universal life. This type of life insurance, in addition to providing a death benefit, can also build a cash value. So it can be more than a life insurance policy, but also a savings vehicle, and an asset that can be borrowed against or cashed in should the need arise. Some retired people will even sell their life insurance policy, before they die, to a life settlement company. They can use the cash to meet their needs while they are still alive.

May we help you look for over 70 life insurance ? Find out if you are too old for life insurance..

Life Insurance Alternatives Over 50

Sunday, March 14th, 2010

Can a person in their middle years or senior years still buy life insurance? If you are over 50, or if you are caring for an older person, you can find a wide choice of products. Since statistics show that Americans are living longer and healthier lives, insurers are willing to extend affordable coverage to older people. Most middle aged and older people can still find life insurance policies.

Why are baby boomers and seniors looking for policies? At thirty or forty, a lot of us bought a twenty or thirty year term life insurance policy. That seemed like plenty of time to save money, get our kids educated, and pay off our mortgage. We figured that by the time we were fifty or sixty, we would have everything in order, and we would not need coverage any more.

But these days, many of us found that the theory did not prove out for us. Our kids did not manage to become totally self supporting as fast as we thought they would. Sometimes those kids come home with our own kids, and they still need our help. And we did plan to pay off that mortgage. But many of us got delayed because we moved or needed to take out a second loan. Years passed, but we did not outgrow our need for a life insurance 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.

What life insurance should older people look for? Before you buy anything, you should think about why you want to buy a policy. Do you just want coverage to make sure your kids or spouse have money? Or do you want to build an asset that may help you in the future? Finaly, you may want to use your policy to help transfer wealth to your family?

If you just want insurance, consider term. Premiums are cheaper anyway, and that will be important because an older person is likely to cost more to cover than a younger person. Even if you are middle aged, or in retirement age, you may still be able to find an affordable term policy.

Some term policies can be converted to permanent policies later. This allows you to get the cheaper one now, and then decide if you need lifetime coverage later. Since you are not sure what you will need in ten or twenty years, this may be a good option. These policies should not require you to prove you are healthy either.

Even though it costs more, whole life has some benefits. The price will be lower at sixty than it will be at seventy, so you can lock that in now. You will also have the opportunity to build an asset for yourself, or for your estate. You should explore the benefits of permanent coverage before you decide against it.

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.

Learn more about Term Life for Older people.

Do Baby Boomers and Seniors Still Need Life Insurance?

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Lots of people think about buying life insurance when they are younger, and especially when they are younger parents.

Many financial and insurance professionals will advise their clients to buy term. They tell young families that they only need coverage for a few decades, and after that the house will be paid off, the younger kids will have grown up, and the house will be paid for.

For younger people, in their 20s, 30s and 40s, a policy should be fairly cheap too. And since they are young, they are more likely to be accepted at the better rating bracket which means that they will get the cheapest premiums. So it should be affordable to buy coverage which can protect their familys security in case they pass away.

The plan that we thought we would stick to just does not always work out for us over the course of a few decades. Instead of saving like we wanted to, a job loss or family illness may have used up a lot of our cash fund. Those children do not always become medical doctors on schedule, and they may be back living with their parents. And houses should get paid off in 20 or 30 years, but sometimes people need a second mortgage. Life insurance is just not something that can be ignored.

There is some good news though. Because statistics show that Americans are living longer and healthier lives, top life insurers are dropping rates. They are also marketing products aimed at providing affordable coverage for older people.

People in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s may be able to find affordable term policies to cover their families for another couple of decades. And we have seen small whole life insurance policies that will extend coverage to people up to age 85.

There are many reasons why older people may choose to buy coverage. They range from covering a funeral to ensuring their estate is transferred to their heirs. Some grown children of seniors choose to purchase a policy on their parents in order to settle debts when the older generation passes on. Most of the time the older parent is actually relieved by this action, and they are not offended at all. It is good to know that older people can still find a policy.

We can help you find Life Insurance For Older People. Everybody has a different situation, and companies have different plans and rates, so it can save you time and money to compare insurance quotes with our fast, safe, and free quote forms.