Term vs. Whole Life Insurance: Key Differences (2024)

FAQs

Term vs. Whole Life Insurance: Key Differences? ›

Term life is more affordable but lasts only for a set period of time. On the other hand, whole life insurance tends to have higher premiums but never expires. Knowing the differences between term and whole life insurance will help you choose a policy that works best for you and your lifestyle.

Term life insurance tends to be much cheaper than whole life coverage because term policies do not have a cash value component and may expire without paying any benefits. Whole life insurance is a form of permanent life insurance that covers the person for their entire life rather than a fixed period of time.

Whole life insurance is permanent insurance, as it is certain to pay the face amount either as an endowment at age 100 or upon death of the insured. In contrast, term insurance is temporary insurance, as it provides protection for only a specified term.

Types of life insurance explained. There are two primary categories of life insurance: term and permanent. Term life insurance lasts for a set timeframe (usually 10 to 30 years), making it a more affordable option, while permanent life insurance lasts your entire lifetime.

Term life insurance can provide coverage during those years when your income is necessary for those who depend on you. Since it's generally more affordable than most permanent life insurance, term policies can be a good fit for those who have a limited budget but need coverage.

While there are many whole life insurance benefits, there are some drawbacks—like higher premiums (compared to term life insurance), lack of flexibility, slower growth and potential penalties.

The difference between term insurance and life insurance is that term insurance only offers death and tax-saving benefits, whereas life insurance provides death, maturity, survival, and tax-saving benefits. Policybazaar team will help and support you at the time of claim.

Whole life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance, which means the insured person is covered for the duration of their life as long as premiums are paid on time.

Con: Higher premiums

Due to the lifelong coverage and cash value component, whole life insurance comes with higher premiums. It may be a challenge to cover them if you're young or don't have a lot of extra cash at your disposal.

Whole life insurance provides stability and peace of mind because the coverage doesn't end as long as the premiums are paid, and the premiums will never increase. There is no need to re-qualify after a term ends so any new health issues will not affect the coverage or premiums.

What's better, term or whole life? ›

Is whole life better than term life insurance? Whole life provides many benefits compared to a term life insurance policy: it is permanent, it has a cash value component, and it offers more ways to protect your family's finances over the long term.

Wondering what Ramsey teaches about life insurance? This article covers all the types, but let's cut to the chase: we always recommend buying term life. In particular, you want a policy that lasts 15 or 20 years with coverage that's 10-12 times your annual income.

Because whole life insurance never expires, you do not need to worry about outliving it. However, your policy may pay out before your death if you live to a certain age. Most whole life policies endow at age 100, while some recently issued policies now offer a maturation age of 121 years.

For every $100 you invest in whole life insurance, the first $5 goes to purchasing the insurance itself; the other $95 goes to the cash value buildup from your investment, Ramsey says. But for about the first three years, your money goes to fees alone. Someone is making out, and it's not your beneficiary.

With a cash value life insurance policy, like whole life or universal life insurance, you can access the cash value. One of the ways to do that is to cash out or surrender the policy. If you choose to cash out your policy, you'll receive the cash value minus any surrender fees.

Death benefit

There's no cash value. Whole life insurance is good for people who want lifelong coverage, premiums that don't change and a cash value component. Your beneficiary will get a life insurance payout no matter when you die, as long as you've paid the premiums needed to keep the policy in force.

When to convert term life insurance. You must decide to convert your term policy to whole life insurance before the original policy expires. It's best to make the change when you realize your circ*mstances are going to change or you need coverage longer than you first thought.

Because whole life insurance never expires, you do not need to worry about outliving it. However, your policy may pay out before your death if you live to a certain age. Most whole life policies endow at age 100, while some recently issued policies now offer a maturation age of 121 years.

When your term life insurance plan expires, the policy's coverage ends, and you stop paying premiums. Therefore, if you pass away after the policy ends, your beneficiaries will not be eligible to receive a death benefit.

Health Concerns

Usually, if you convert your term life to a whole life policy, you can do so without having to take a medical exam as part of the underwriting process. Whole life policies also make sense if you want to care for a beneficiary with special needs.