But, since you cannot know when your death will actually occur, how can you provide this guarantee? First, a brief overview.

The death benefit concept was originally developed over 200 years ago. Members of rural communities would each contribute small amounts of cash into a collection. When a member of the community died, a portion of the collection was give

Someday, of course, all of us will die. But, since we cannot know exactly when this will happen, we tend not to think much about it. Sometimes we wait until it's too late before we get serious about the value of life insurance.

Only those who are reasonably healthy are permitted to buy life insurance. If you are seriously diseased, cancerous or diagnosed as terminal, it's unlikely that any company would knowingly issue you a policy. However, some second to die policies are available as long as one of the two applicants is insurable.

There are companies that specialize in limited value policies and market them aggressively in print and television, but these usually are for face amounts of less than $10,000. There are exceptions, but caution is advised before committing your money.

When a large number of comparatively healthy people are grouped into age related categories, it's possible to project with some accuracy how many of them will die within a span of time. This projection is for the large number only and not for the individual.

Indeed, if it were possible to predict with certainty the timing of your specific death, no company in the world would issue you an affordably price policy.

One major irritant to the purchase of life insurance is that you have to pay premiums for a long period of time without seeing any tangible benefit. There is nothing to hold in your hand... nothing to watch... or to drive. It's an unselfish purchase.

It's the only asset you can own that will guarantee tax-free cash for your loved ones at the exact time they will most likely need it. But, you will not be around when it pays off.

So, do not buy a policy unless you can guarantee it will be in effect at the time of your death.

But, since you cannot know when your death will actually occur, how can you provide this guarantee? First, a brief overview.

The death benefit concept was originally developed over 200 years ago. Members of rural communities would each contribute small amounts of cash into a collection. When a member of the community died, a portion of the collection was given

There are companies that specialize in limited value policies and market them aggressively in print and television, but these usually are for face amounts of less than $10,000. There are exceptions, but caution is advised before committing your money.

When a large number of comparatively healthy people are grouped into age related categories, it's possible to project with some accuracy how many of them will die within a span of time. This projection is for the large number only and not for the individual.

Indeed, if it were possible to predict with certainty the timing of your specific death, no company in the world would issue you an affordably price policy.

One major irritant to the purchase of life insurance is that you have to pay premiums for a long period of time without seeing any tangible benefit. There is nothing to hold in your hand... nothing to watch... or to drive. It's an unselfish purchase.

It's the only asset you can own that will guarantee tax-free cash for your loved ones at the exact time they will most likely need it. But, you will not be around when it pays off.

So, do not buy a policy unless you can guarantee it will be in effect at the time of your death.

But, since you cannot know when your death will actually occur, how can you provide this guarantee? First, a brief overview.

The death benefit concept was originally developed over 200 years ago. Members of rural communities would each contribute small amounts of cash into a collection. When a member of the community died, a portion of the collection was give

When a large number of comparatively healthy people are grouped into age related categories, it's possible to project with some accuracy how many of them will die within a span of time. This projection is for the large number only and not for the individual.

Indeed, if it were possible to predict with certainty the timing of your specific death, no company in the world would issue you an affordably price policy.

One major irritant to the purchase of life insurance is that you have to pay premiums for a long period of time without seeing any tangible benefit. There is nothing to hold in your hand... nothing to watch... or to drive. It's an unselfish purchase.

It's the only asset you can own that will guarantee tax-free cash for your loved ones at the exact time they will most likely need it. But, you will not be around when it pays off.

So, do not buy a policy unless you can guarantee it will be in effect at the time of your death.

But, since you cannot know when your death will actually occur, how can you provide this guarantee? First, a brief overview.

The death benefit concept was originally developed over 200 years ago. Members of rural communities would each contribute small amounts of cash into a collection. When a member of the community died, a portion of the collection was give

One major irritant to the purchase of life insurance is that you have to pay premiums for a long period of time without seeing any tangible benefit. There is nothing to hold in your hand... nothing to watch... or to drive. It's an unselfish purchase.

It's the only asset you can own that will guarantee tax-free cash for your loved ones at the exact time they will most likely need it. But, you will not be around when it pays off.

So, do not buy a policy unless you can guarantee it will be in effect at the time of your death.

But, since you cannot know when your death will actually occur, how can you provide this guarantee? First, a brief overview.

The death benefit concept was originally developed over 200 years ago. Members of rural communities would each contribute small amounts of cash into a collection. When a member of the community died, a portion of the collection was give

But, since you cannot know when your death will actually occur, how can you provide this guarantee? First, a brief overview.

The death benefit concept was originally developed over 200 years ago. Members of rural communities would each contribute small amounts of cash into a collection. When a member of the community died, a portion of the collection was given to the family of the deceased.

There are essentially two types of life insurance companies: mutual and stock. Mutual companies pay dividends to their policyholders and stock companies pay dividends to their stockholders.

The distinction between the two types has become blurred somewhat over the last few years as mergers and buyouts transformed the business into what is now called the financial services industry.

A major difference, however, continues to be in the net cost of a policy because mutual company annual dividends provide significant added value over time.

Companies like Mass Mutual, Northwestern Mutual and New York Life have excellent track records of increasing dividends; thereby greatly reducing the net cost of certain policy types.

An argument can be made that the mutual company policy premium is larger than necessary and, therefore, the annual dividend is nothing more than a method to reduce the premium to its more appropriate price.

While this point may have some merit during the early years of a policy, it becomes invalid as the policy matures. Indeed, dividends paid over time by the above companies contradict any attempt to downplay their value.

There are two basic types of policies: term life and whole life (also referred to as permanent). The term is defined as that point in time when the death benefit will no longer be paid to the insured's beneficiary. If the insured party has not died prior to that point in time, there is no value.

The whole life death benefit is always available provided the premium has been paid when due.

Competition has forced life insurance companies to develop numerous other types of policies, but they are simply hybrid forms of term and permanent. These include universal life and variable universal life. The numerou