There are many types of life insurance policies. Some provide pure insurance protection, others help you grow financially and allow you to use any accumulated money throughout your lifetime. Following is a list of today's more popular types of life insurance coverage.

Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance is one of the most affordable types of insurance policies. Term life insurance covers you for the full amount of benefit you choose for a designated number of years. It pays a death benefit only if you die during that period while the policy is in force. Term insurance offers the most insurance protection for your premium dollar. It generally does not build up cash value.

Whole Life Insurance
Whole life insurance gives death protection for as long as you live. The most common type is called "straight life" or "ordinary life" insurance, for which you pay the same premiums for as long as you live. These premiums can be several times higher than you would pay initially for the same amount of term insurance. But they are smaller than the premiums you would eventually pay if you were to keep renewing a term policy until your later years.
Some whole life policies let you pay premiums for a shorter period such as 20 years, or until age 65. Premiums for these policies are higher than for ordinary life insurance since the premium payments are squeezed into a shorter period.

Although you pay higher premiums to begin with, for whole life insurance than for term insurance, whole life insurance policies develop "cash values" which you may have if you stop paying premiums. You can generally either take the cash, or use to buy some continuing insurance protection. Technically speaking, these values are called "nonforfeiture benefits." This refers to benefits you do not lose (or "forfeit’) when you stop paying premiums. The amount of these benefits depends on the kind of policy you have, its size, and how long you have owned it.

A policy with cash values may also be used as collateral for a loan. If you borrow from the life insurance company, the rate of interest is shown in your policy. Any money which you owe on a policy loan would be deducted from the benefits if you were to die, or from the cash value if you were to stop paying premiums.

Universal Life Insurance
Universal life insurance provides permanent life insurance coverage and any cash value accumulates on a tax-deferred basis. The death benefit and cash value depend on the interest rate declared by the insurance company. Universal Life policies provide insurance to protect what you have today and to help you provide for what you want tomorrow.

Life Insurance Riders (may or may not be available on all types of policies)
Living Needs Benefits, also known as Accelerated Death Benefit - provides for advanced payment of a certain percentage of the existing death benefit, while the policy is in force, if the Insured becomes terminally ill and has a life expectancy of less than 12 months. The accelerated amount paid is deducted from the death benefit due the beneficiary at the time of death, as well as interest charge and a one-time process fee. See policy provisions for more details.

Accidental Death Benefit, also referred to as ADB - provides for payment to the beneficiary in the event of the Insured's death resulting from accidental bodily injury. Such death must occur while the policy is in force and prior to a certain age. Some limitations and exclusions apply, see policy provisions for more details.

Waiver of Premium - provides that if the Insured becomes totally disabled and continues to be disabled for a period of six months, prior to a certain age, while the policy is in force, the premiums will be waived.

Children's Rider - provides additional term life insurance on the existing and future children of the insured, while the policy is in force. This additional coverage is usually issued in $1,000 units up to $20,000 per child. Some limitations apply, see policy provisions for more details.

Fixed Annuities
A fixed annuity offers a current interest rate on premiums you contribute to your policy, along with a guaranteed minimum rate for the life of the policy. Typically, the current rate is higher than the guaranteed minimum. Your money accumulates and compounds tax-deferred. You have several income options when you are ready to receive payments from your annuity.

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