In this post, we will discuss the basics and important facts of term life insurance as well as more than 20 plus term life insurance companies.
Overview
Term life insurance is a great option for people who wish to cover themselves against the financial burdens as long as the family rises.
If you have term life insurance, you have a safety net that can help you pay your mortgage, send your kids to college, and take very good care of other critical matters if you are no longer able to work.
It’s easy to understand if you consider the following scenario: you have a growing family – together all financial demands that come with it. Let’s imagine you have a 40-year mortgage, a 60-month auto loan, and a college fund that won’t be used for another 12 years. In this situation, a term policy could be a cost-effective option to carry a high sum of life insurance.
Term life insurance has fixed premiums for a set number of years – usually 10, 20, or 30. In comparison to equivalent permanent coverage, the initial level premium is usually lower. And it is extremely helpful in saving the lives of loved ones.
Term coverage is often less expensive in the shorter terms. If you elect to keep the coverage after the term period, premiums will increase.
What is Term Life Insurance and How Does Term Life Insurance Work?
Term life insurance is a contract between a policyholder and an insurance company that states that if the insured person dies during the policy’s time term, the insurer would pay a death benefit to the policy’s beneficiaries.
When purchasing term life insurance, you must decide on two things: the life of the term and the amount of insurance you require.
The annual cost of constant term life insurance remains the same every year for the term of the insurance. You can normally renew the policy after the level term period has ended, but at increasing rates each year you renew.
The policy will expire if you do not renew it before the end of the term. Unless you purchased a return of premium term life insurance, you will not receive a refund of your premiums.
Many people purchase term life insurance to replace their income. They’re looking for life insurance that will cover a family’s needs for a set period of time if they are no longer able to work and make money. Term life is also beneficial for:
- Covering the years of a mortgage so that the house does not have to be sold by another borrower.
- Paying off other specified debts that would otherwise be passed on to a third party.
- Covering the years until the children graduate from high school in order to ensure that there is enough money for tuition and living expenses.
You choose the term (how long the policy will continue) and the death benefit when you apply for term life insurance (how much your family will receive if you die). Your premium will be determined by these characteristics, as well as your age and health status. Your premium is the amount you’ll pay on a regular basis to keep your coverage in place.
Term life insurance comes in two varieties: Decreasing Term & Level Term. The most prevalent form, level term, meaning that the death benefit remains constant throughout the policy’s life. The death benefit of decreasing term life insurance decreases at predetermined intervals over the length of the policy.

Beneficiaries would undoubtedly prefer that their loved ones did not die in an ideal world. Term life insurance, like any other sort of insurance, is designed to provide a financial safety net in the event of unforeseen circumstances. By paying your life insurance premium now, you are assuring your beneficiaries that they will be financially supported if you die prematurely.
According to Jill Schlesinger, a Certified Financial Planner, and CBS News business expert, “You pay a premium every year and that premium basically permits you to transfer the risk of a premature death to an insurance company.”
You won’t get your premiums returned if you live longer than the term, and your family won’t get a death benefit. However, you can opt to extend the term, let it expire, or convert it to permanent life insurance at that moment.
Is a Medical Exam Required for Term Life Insurance?
Because your premium is based on the risk your health poses, most term life insurance policies will require you to take a medical exam. Some term life insurance companies provide a simplified application process that only requires you to complete a medical questionnaire, however, these policies often have coverage of $45000-$55000 or less.
What Does Term Life Insurance Cost?
Term life insurance costs vary depending on the insurance company you select, the amount of coverage, policy features, your health and lifestyle, where you live, and your age. For applicants 30 to 55 years old in good health, we obtained example quotes for term life insurance from 10 of the leading life insurance firms and discovered monthly premium estimates ranging from $8 to $62.
How to Find the Most Affordable Term Life Insurance Quotes?
When you apply for term life insurance when you’re younger, you’ll usually get the greatest rates. Being in good health, on the other hand, is another approach to receive the best deal. If you want to minimize your prospective premium before applying for life insurance, you can improve your health by decreasing weight or stopping any smoking habits you may have. You can also instantly halt any activity that the insurance company may deem unsafe or harmful, such as skydiving or flying planes.
You can read our post on health insurance facilities in 3 great USA organizations.
How to Determine the Length of Term Life Insurance?
Consider the length of the debt or scenario you wish to cover when choosing the optimum term life insurance policy length. If you’re getting term life insurance to cover the years until your children graduate from high school, which is in nine years, you can choose 10-year term life insurance. You’re probably looking at a 30-year term life if you just bought a property and took out a 30-year mortgage.
Term life insurance is commonly available in five-, ten-, fifteen-, twenty-five-, twenty-five-, and thirty-year terms. Some businesses are committing to 35- and 40-year contracts (AIG, Legal & General America, and Protective).
According to Steve Robinson, vice president of partnerships at Legal & General America, the most typical term life length purchased is 20 years.
If your family’s financial demands outlast term life insurance, you might look into a permanent life insurance coverage like universal life insurance.
What are the benefits of term life insurance?
Privilege of conversion
Many term insurance policies allow you to convert your coverage to full insurance without having to provide proof of good health.
This benefit is often available for the first few years of the coverage. If permanent insurance is out of your budget right now, the conversion privilege ensures your insurability in the future, even if you become uninsurable otherwise.
cost-effective
Term life insurance is for a specific length of time, usually 10 or 20 years, and is less expensive than whole life insurance for the same amount of coverage. Term insurance is popular among younger, first-time policyholders. Many term policyholders align the term of their coverage with a significant life event, such as paying off a mortgage or seeing their children through college.

Options that can be changed
A term life policy protects you now and allows you the flexibility to adjust your coverage if your circumstances change. A great way to use term insurance is as a “rider” to a full life policy. Consider the case of a person who needs $250,000 in life insurance but cannot afford the premium for a 100 percent permanent plan. A $60,000 permanent policy with a $160,000 term rider could be an economical alternative.
How to choose the most reputable term life insurance provider?
With life insurance, you are putting your trust in a corporation to be there for your family for a long period of time in the future. As a result, it is critical to select a company in which you can place your trust. Here are several methods for comparing firms and determining which is the greatest fit for you.
Examine the insurer’s reputation for providing excellent customer service.
You want a business that delivers excellent customer service from the time you begin shopping until the time you need to file a claim with them. You may search up an insurer’s complaint index on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners website to get a sense of whether or not other customers have been happy with the company’s services.
When adjusted for the company’s market share, the score is determined by the number of complaints lodged against the insurance company with state regulatory authorities (based on premiums written). Because the average score is one, a number greater than one indicates that the company received more complaints than was expected given its size.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options, it’s a good idea to compare whole life insurance and term life insurance quotes from a variety of providers. You will be able to obtain the most competitive cost for the type of term life insurance you require in this manner.

Investigate the financial strength of the insurance.
You want a company that will be around for decades to come, and that will have enough money to cover any claims that may arise. The financial strength rating of a life insurance company is one technique to determine whether or not an insurer will be able to satisfy that standard in the future. A rating firm such as A.M. Best can help you determine the financial strength of any term life insurance company you’re considering by providing you with a financial strength rating.
In order to make the best decision, we propose that you choose insurers with A- or higher ratings. Companies with an
Almost all of the world’s largest life insurance businesses, for example, have excellent financial strength rankings.
Level term types include: • Yearly (or annually) renewable term • 5-year renewable term • 10-year term • 15-year term • 20-year term • 25-year term • 30-year term • Term to a certain age (usually 65)
When purchasing term life insurance, there are a few things to look for.
When selecting a term insurance policy that is perfect for you, you should consult with an agent to ensure that you understand all of the features that are available. Take into consideration the following:
Confirm that the insurance coverage is guaranteed to be renewable before purchasing it. This means that you will not be required to have a physical exam in order to renew your coverage. Also, be certain that it has the ability to convert data if necessary. Both of these features work together to protect your future insurability.
Most companies provide a variety of conversion alternatives, so be sure to discuss your options with your agent once you’ve decided to convert. Your agent may be able to provide you with a computer-generated illustration to assist you in making your decision.
In order to save money on insurance, it is not a good idea to just shop for the coverage with the lowest premium. Before you get too concerned about saving a few dollars, you’ll want to make sure that the insurance company is financially stable. When selecting an insurance business, longevity, size, and financial ratings are all important factors to consider.
Some insurance companies offer a rider to extend the premium guarantee (also known as a modification of premium guarantee rider), which, for an additional fee, guarantees that the premium will not be higher than the scheduled premium stated in the policy contract for a limited period of time after the policy contract is issued.
Policies with an extension of the term are available.
Once common, the year-to-year renewable term is no longer among the most popular options. The most popular term length is now a 20-year commitment. Most businesses will not sell term insurance policies to an applicant for the term that ends after his/her 80th birthday unless the applicant meets certain requirements.
It is possible for a policy to be “renewable,” which implies that it can be extended for an extra term or terms, up to set age, even if the insured’s health (or other criteria) would cause him or her to be turned down for a new life insurance policy.
In most cases, the premium for the insurance is determined by the insured person’s age and health at the time of the policy’s inception, and the premium remains the same (amount) throughout the policy’s term. As an example, premiums for a 5-year renewable term can be level for the 1st 5 years, then increase to new rates reflecting the insured’s new age, and so on process repeats, every 5 years.
The premium on some longer-term policies is guaranteed to remain the same during its term; however, other policies do not make that guarantee, allowing the insurance company to raise the rate during the policy’s term.
Some term insurance contracts have the option of being converted. This indicates that the policy’s owner has the option to convert the policy into a permanent type of life insurance without providing additional evidence of insurability to the insurer.
Who Is Eligible for Term Life Insurance Coverage?
- Age: The age limitations for term life insurance vary from provider to provider. You’ll normally need to be at least 18 years old, but the exact age requirement varies from company to firm. A senior citizen may not be able to purchase as long a term as a young person due to financial constraints.
- Your health status: You will be asked about your health status during the application process, and some insurance companies will deny coverage to persons who have certain health issues. Depending on the policy, you may also be needed to undergo a medical examination in order to be eligible for coverage.
- Criminal and driving records: If you have a criminal record or a history of traffic violations, you may be unable to obtain life insurance coverage, however, this is dependent on the provider.
- In some cases, you may be denied coverage if you use marijuana, go skydiving, or even work in a dangerous industry, according to your occupation and your interests.
- Financial standing: If you’re purchasing a larger policy, your life insurance carrier may do a credit check and request proof of income.
- Citizenship: Some providers may want you to show proof that you are a citizen of the United States, while others will require you to produce a social security number as well as a visa or a green card.
Top 20 term life insurance as per overall market share in 2020
In our view, the top 20 term life insurance companies (As per market share in 2020) are written as follows. You can get any of the company’s quotes by directly visiting their website. These companies are not only best for term life insurance but also ideal for whole life insurance too.
- Northwestern Mutual
- New York Life Insurance
- MassMutual
- Prudential
- Lincoln Financial
- State Farm
- John Hancock
- Guardian
- Transamerica
- MetLife
- Pacific Life
- American International Group
- Equitable Holdings
- Primerica
- Sammons (Midland National)
- Nationwide
- Protective Life
- Penn Mutual
- Brighthouse Financial
- Global Life
Source:- S&P Global Market Intelligence report on the market share of 2020.

Some Other Great Term life insurance companies.
You can directly visit their website for more in-depth knowledge.