Money Matters
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Life Insurance

DH and I have always had small policies through work.  Now that we have a baby, we'd like to get a higher value policy ($1 million) for DH.  Is there anything special we should take into account when shopping for insurance?  Any companies to avoid?
Beautiful baby girl born at 34 weeks due to vasa previa.   Finally home after 15 day NICU stay!

Re: Life Insurance

  • This isn't for your husband, but I highly recommend getting Gerber Life Insurance for you infant! My parents did that and now I'm set for life basically. 
  • You will want to consider life insurance for you as well. 

    You want TERM insurance only.  Do not buy a hybrid or Whole Life Insurance (which the Gerber plan is).  20-30 term - long enough to cover getting them out of college, have the house paid off etc.

  • what sisugal said.  Also if you ever want life insurance for your kid, she can be put on either your husband's or yours life insurance policy as a rider.  That's the most cost effective way to go with it.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • shop zanderinsurance.com
    They will give you instant quotes for many different companies and help you find the best one.
    I agree with the 20 year term- we just had a kid and that's what we did.
    image
  • Thanks ladies.
    Beautiful baby girl born at 34 weeks due to vasa previa.   Finally home after 15 day NICU stay!
  • I just want to really stress additional life nsurance for yourself as well!
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • I just want to really stress additional life nsurance for yourself as well!

    She's right! I am a SAHM, and I have some. It can help the spouse who is working outside the home have some flexibility if the SAH spouse dies. It can pay for child care so the spouse can continue to work outside the home. I don't think it needs to be as large of a policy as the one on the spouse working outside the home, but it should be a comfortable amount to also help with funeral/burial and possibly any other debts.
  • I know a lot of people are recommending term life insurance, and that is the best option if you are looking at just having extra coverage while your child grows up.  But the negative thing about term life insurance is...at the end of the term...you are back without insurance.  Only now it will be more expensive to get because you/your husband are 20 years older.  Or maybe one/both of you cannot get it at all because now there is a pre-existing medical condition.

    My mom got one of those Gerber life insurances for my sister and I when we were babies and thank God she did!  I was diagnosed with a serious medical condition when I was 20 and now I basically either can't buy life insurance or, the few companies that offer it, would charge me exorbitant rates.  But I still have that whole life Gerber policy!  Of course, no one can see into the future...if we could insurance decisions would be a lot easier, lol ;)...but it is something to consider. There are endless medical conditions that throw people into the "uninsurable" category and a whole life policy (beforehand) guards against that...but that is also why they are more expensive than term. 

  • Yes, my parents actually took out a small life insurance policy on me through a professional organization when I was a child.  My Dad still sends me information about it from time to time but I haven't paid much attention to it, to date.  I'm going to look more into the specifics now.

    I do have life insurance on myself through work- the max I can get without providing evidence of insurability.  I think it is in the neighborhood of $300K.

    Unfortunately, additional life insurance for me at this time is not possible because of some medical conditions that I have.

    Beautiful baby girl born at 34 weeks due to vasa previa.   Finally home after 15 day NICU stay!
  • We have Lincoln Benefit ($500k on each of us but we're going to raise DH's a bit).  We checked out Zander and they were just a bit more than what we were currently paying.  We're both healthy, I was 27 and DH was 29 or 30 when we got the policy.  We pay $37.63 per month.
    GSx1 - 05/13/2013
    babybaby
  • I know a lot of people are recommending term life insurance, and that is the best option if you are looking at just having extra coverage while your child grows up.  But the negative thing about term life insurance is...at the end of the term...you are back without insurance.  Only now it will be more expensive to get because you/your husband are 20 years older.  Or maybe one/both of you cannot get it at all because now there is a pre-existing medical condition.

    My mom got one of those Gerber life insurances for my sister and I when we were babies and thank God she did!  I was diagnosed with a serious medical condition when I was 20 and now I basically either can't buy life insurance or, the few companies that offer it, would charge me exorbitant rates.  But I still have that whole life Gerber policy!  Of course, no one can see into the future...if we could insurance decisions would be a lot easier, lol ;)...but it is something to consider. There are endless medical conditions that throw people into the "uninsurable" category and a whole life policy (beforehand) guards against that...but that is also why they are more expensive than term. 

    I'm curious, what do people do when the term of the life insurance policy runs out.  Because most likely you will die when you are older and life insurance is still needed.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • @vlagrl29

    Most people will try to re-write a term policy when theirs expires.  The negative part to that, is the premium is usually quite a bit higher, and if you have any medical conditions that have arose during that term, then you may not be insurable.

    This is why we have a $100k whole life policy for each of us (locked into the rate and death benefit for life), and a $500k term policy (for 20 years).

    Also, another way to look at it is that if in 10 years your student loans, mortgage, etc will be paid off. Then maybe a term policy is a good direction to go. Do a term policy for 10-15 years to cover any debts you may leave behind or to cover college tuition. Then a whole life policy so that you are guaranteed some sort of death benefit.

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  • vlagrl29 said:

    I know a lot of people are recommending term life insurance, and that is the best option if you are looking at just having extra coverage while your child grows up.  But the negative thing about term life insurance is...at the end of the term...you are back without insurance.  Only now it will be more expensive to get because you/your husband are 20 years older.  Or maybe one/both of you cannot get it at all because now there is a pre-existing medical condition.

    My mom got one of those Gerber life insurances for my sister and I when we were babies and thank God she did!  I was diagnosed with a serious medical condition when I was 20 and now I basically either can't buy life insurance or, the few companies that offer it, would charge me exorbitant rates.  But I still have that whole life Gerber policy!  Of course, no one can see into the future...if we could insurance decisions would be a lot easier, lol ;)...but it is something to consider. There are endless medical conditions that throw people into the "uninsurable" category and a whole life policy (beforehand) guards against that...but that is also why they are more expensive than term. 

    I'm curious, what do people do when the term of the life insurance policy runs out.  Because most likely you will die when you are older and life insurance is still needed.
    If you've been saving and investing wisely for those 20 to 30 years, why would it still be needed?  
  • brij2006 said:

    @vlagrl29

    Most people will try to re-write a term policy when theirs expires.  The negative part to that, is the premium is usually quite a bit higher, and if you have any medical conditions that have arose during that term, then you may not be insurable.

    This is why we have a $100k whole life policy for each of us (locked into the rate and death benefit for life), and a $500k term policy (for 20 years).

    Also, another way to look at it is that if in 10 years your student loans, mortgage, etc will be paid off. Then maybe a term policy is a good direction to go. Do a term policy for 10-15 years to cover any debts you may leave behind or to cover college tuition. Then a whole life policy so that you are guaranteed some sort of death benefit.

    Thanks!
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • I would not get a million unless he is the sole bread winner and he makes over 100k.  Most experts say you should get a 20 year term life insurance that is 10 times his income and add in a little extra for children's college.

    If you both work, you should get life insurance on both of you roughly 10 times your salaries.
  • To answer the question what do you do when your term life insurance policy expires?  Make sure that all of your debt is paid off and be self-insured.  By the time that you retire there is no need for a large insurance policy since all of your children should be grown and all of your debts should be retired.  In retirement you shouldn't be using any credit unless you are paying it off each month.
  • Sisugal said:

    You will want to consider life insurance for you as well. 

    You want TERM insurance only.  Do not buy a hybrid or Whole Life Insurance (which the Gerber plan is).  20-30 term - long enough to cover getting them out of college, have the house paid off etc.

    This. Cost-wise term is best. Most companies offer option to convert to whole life if you ever want it for longer (life throws surprises) so I would start with term.

    If you plan to have more kids, I'd aim for 30 over 20 years but not all companies offer it anymore.

    And you need life insurance just as much as DH - even if you don't work.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Thanks ladies. We are following the 10 times rule hence the million dollar coverage for DH (he makes over 100K). I work as well but unfortunately I'm uninsurable. I do have the max allowed through my employers carrier without having to provide evidence of insurability. DH just took his medical exam this morning as the first step in getting coverage, so now we wait to see what rate he will qualify. We are getting a 20 year term policy.
    Beautiful baby girl born at 34 weeks due to vasa previa.   Finally home after 15 day NICU stay!
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