Dispelling Five Big Myths About Life Insurance

If you offer life insurance to your customers, you know this coverage is likely to be an important part of their family budget. One day, it might be the most important part of it. Unfortunately, misinformation surrounds it. A lot of people avoid shopping for life insurance—and for good reason. At first glance, it seems expensive. It also might seem unnecessary.

Neither of these myths are true. Life insurance is beneficial to the financial health of your customers, and it’s quite affordable.

Check out these five life insurance myths, and make sure your customers are not buying into them too much.

Myth One: You Can’t Buy a Life Insurance Policy If You’re Unhealthy

Life insurance is surprisingly easy to buy. Unless your customers currently have severe medical conditions, they’ll likely be able to buy it. While some conditions do result in higher quotes, they probably won’t disqualify customers from coverage. Some of these conditions include:

• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Arthritis

Even if they increase the price, the policy itself is still generally affordable.

Myth Two: Life Insurance is Overly Expensive

Many consumers have turned down a life insurance policy because of its cost. The myth of expensive life insurance is a strong one. In fact, about 80 percent of people asked about life insurance thought it cost more than it did. When asked about annual prices for a 20-year, $250,000 term life policy for healthy 30-year-olds, this age bracket gauged it at about $400. Millennials, meanwhile, guessed it was about $600. On average, the price is roughly $160 per year

Myth Three: Old People Can’t Buy Life Insurance

Your customers can still buy term life insurance if they are older. Even if you’re over 60, term life insurance quotes are often still affordable. On average, their rates only increase by about nine to 12 percent after age 50.

Myth Four: Employer-Based Life Insurance Policy Is Good Enough

While many businesses offer life insurance, employer-provided policies have a lot of limitations. They also might provide enough coverage. If your customers have a lot of debt to handle, they’re better off purchasing a separate policy.

Myth Five: Insurance Coverage Should Match Salary

Too often, policyholders insure themselves in a multiple of their salary. A salary, however, doesn’t equate to the potential expenses a consumer’s family will sustain if disaster strikes.

This said, your customers should consider buying a short-term policy if you’re older. A shorter policy will make estate planning much easier. It’ll also make it easier to buy out a business partner. Provide good guidance in helping your customers choose a policy. And ensure they make the decision which will best protect them—and their family—for years to come.