ExpertGlossary

Life insurance is a contract you sign with an insurance company, obligating it to pay a death benefit of a certain value to the beneficiaries you name.

In most cases, the payment is made at the time of your death, but certain policies allow you to take a portion of the death benefit if you are terminally ill and need the money to pay for healthcare.

You may select either term or permanent insurance. With a term policy, you are insured for a specific period of time. When the term ends, you must renew the policy for another term or change your coverage. Otherwise, you're no longer insured. With a permanent policy, you can buy coverage for your lifetime.

You pay an annual premium, typically billed monthly or quarterly, for the coverage. The insurer sets the cost, based on your age, health, life style, and other factors. With a permanent policy, your premium is fixed, but with a term policy it typically increases when you renew your coverage to reflect the fact that you're older.