Aug 30, 2004 -- All about buying life insurance
Clark talks a lot about life insurance in his books. It not a terribly exciting topic, but its important. Life insurance should basically be just death coverage. No savings payoffs; simple is better in this case. In fact, Clark finds that term insurance is now selling itself. People are shopping for simple death coverage. It is cheap and necessary. But because peoples lifestyles are not as healthy as they should be, or used to be, fewer people will actually qualify for the best rate often called super preferred or preferred plus. But even the normal, preferred rates are very good these days. For instance, the New York Times reported that a 52- year old man could buy a 20-year, $1 million d policy for $300 a month. This is a great rate! As a general rule, ten times the family income is a good amount to buy. Look into buying from an A++ or A+ company only. The term you buy may be a 10, 20, or 30, year policy. It is offered with the same cost over the life of the policy. A top-rated company will have licensed sales people who will be knowledgeable about what you need. This is called level term insurance. Clark recommends that you contact independent agents. The help of a professional when deciding can be invaluable.