What Is Life Insurance? All You Need to Know

Term life insurance is the most common kind of life insurance and is usually the go-to option for Canadians. With a term policy, you pay a monthly premium. If you die within the specified period of time, the company will pay the death benefit of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most life insurance policies provide coverage for ten to 20 years, though you can find policies with terms ranging from five to 30 years. 

Term policies are simple and usually have lower premiums than many other types of insurance. Whenever you die, your beneficiaries will receive the tax-free death benefit. The typical term policy can offer $250,000+ of coverage, with some policies providing over $1 million. You generally have to pass a medical exam to qualify for term coverage. 

The main downside of term policies is that they expire after a certain period or after you reach a certain age. If you die after the policy lapses, your beneficiaries will not receive the death payout. You can often renew a policy after it expires, but you may have to pass a new medical exam and pay higher rates. Term policies also offer relatively few tax benefits, unlike some other forms of life insurance. 

Pros

• Low and consistent premiums
• Simple payout conditions and process
• Ability to cancel the policy at any time without penalty
• Coverage limits that can be very high

Cons

• Term life offers relatively few tax benefits
• A policy can expire after a certain time frame or after you turn a certain age
• Renewing the policy can cost you higher rates

The other major option for life insurance is permanent or whole life insurance. Unlike term life insurance, permanent life insurance does not expire and will last as long as you continue to make premium payments. There is also no age limit to buy a permanent life insurance policy, so you can buy one at any age. 

The key feature of a permanent life insurance policy is the cash value portion of the premium. Whenever you make your monthly payment, part of that payment covers the premium to keep the policy active. The remainder of the payment contributes to the cash value. 

The cash value portion accrues value as time goes on. You can directly access the policy’s cash value or take out a tax-free loan against the cash value. You can also surrender the policy to receive the full cash value of the policy. However, beneficiaries only receive the policy’s death benefit rather than the policy’s cash value when the policyholder dies. 

The cash value portion of permanent life insurance policies makes them useful for several wealth strategies. The policy’s cash value grows tax-free, and you have several ways to access it. The main downside of permanent policies is that they have substantially more expensive premiums and more complicated conditions. You will also have to pass a medical exam to qualify for the policy. 

Pros

• Permanent coverage will not expire as long as you pay premiums
• Flexibility to adjust premium payments and death benefits
• The cash value portion gains tax-free interest and allows for tax-free loans
• The cash value can supplement retirement income

Cons

• More expensive premiums
• Cancelling the policy can incur tax penalties
• Cash value does not go to beneficiaries

Simplified life insurance is a kind of no-medical life insurance that does not require the recipient to pass a medical exam. Instead, it only requires the policyholder to answer a health questionnaire about family history and habits. Otherwise, simplified life insurance behaves like other life insurance products—when you die, your beneficiaries receive the predetermined death benefit. 

Since the insurers are taking on more risk by forgoing medical exam requirements, simplified policies tend to have more expensive premiums and lower coverage limits. Most simplified policies have a death benefit less than or equal to $100,000. You can find both term and permanent versions of simplified insurance policies.  

Many simplified policies also have a one- to two-year period before the policy goes into full effect, during which the company won’t have to pay the death benefit if you pass away.

Pros

• It does not require a medical examination to qualify
• Term and whole life insurance policies are available
• Relatively fast underwriting process compared to other policies

Cons

• Relatively low coverage limits
• One- to two-year period of inactivity
• Premiums are more expensive because the risk is higher

Guaranteed life insurance is a kind of no-medical life insurance that provides a guaranteed payout upon death, regardless of medical history or health conditions. Guaranteed life insurance is for people who are too high risk for other kinds of life insurance. Anyone can qualify for guaranteed life insurance, and you don’t have to take a medical exam or fill out a health questionnaire. 

Because the eligibility requirements are low, guaranteed life insurance policies usually have low coverage limits and high monthly premiums. Typical coverage for guaranteed policies rarely exceeds $50,000. However, you can find instant approval and a fast underwriting process with a guaranteed policy.

Like simplified policies, guaranteed policies usually have a one- to two-year period in which beneficiaries cannot receive the death benefit if you pass away.  

Pros

• No required medical exam or health questionnaire
• Straightforward underwriting process
• Guaranteed payout upon death, regardless of health

Cons

• High monthly premiums
• One- to two-year period of inactivity before full coverage
• Low coverage amounts

• A non-working spouse
• Children
• Aging parents
• Mortgage, business loans, or credit card debt

The first method is the simplest and involves multiplying your income by ten. This method is good for estimating the amount of coverage you need but does not consider more detailed spending and expense requirements of your family. For example, if you make $50,000 annually, you should find a policy with coverage limits of at least $500,000. 

The Times Ten method also does not account for a large portion of household care that a stay-at-home parent might perform. Stay-at-home parents perform several valuable services for families, despite the fact they may not bring in an income.  

If you want to fund your children’s college educations, you will need more than just your annual income times ten to account for their living expenses and their college educations. Multiply your income by ten, then add $100,000 for education expenses per child. 

For example, if you have three children and make $80,000 a year, you should buy a policy with at least $1.1 million in coverage. That would cover ten years of living expenses plus $100,000 for each of your three children. 

The DIME formula is a more in-depth method of establishing life insurance coverage limits. The acronym “DIME” stands for debt, income, mortgage, and education. It represents the main expenses your life insurance policy needs to cover. 

• Debt. Debt includes personal loans, medical bills, credit card bills, and any potential funeral and end-of-life care costs. 
• Income. Multiply your annual income by the total number of years your family will require support. 
• Mortgage. Calculate how long it will take to pay off your mortgage, including interest. 
• Education. Consider the cost of education for your children, taking into account inflation for subsequent years. 

The DIME method is much more accurate than just multiplying your income by ten and gives a better picture of your dependents’ financial needs. 

Age is probably the most critical feature that determines policy costs. Generally, older Canadians have to pay higher premium costs than younger Canadians. Younger people have fewer health issues, so it costs less to insure them. 

For example, a 30-year-old paying for a 20-year $500,000 policy could end up paying substantially less than a 40-year-old with the same policy. Buying a policy younger can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars over time. 

Health and medical history are two other factors that play an essential role in determining life insurance premiums. Pre-existing medical conditions that could affect your premiums include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Respiratory disease
• High BMI
• Kidney disorder
• Liver disease

Assessments also look at previous prescription drug usage and family medical history. For example, if your family has a history of breast cancer, you could pay more for your policy. 

Simplified and guaranteed life insurance are two options for people who need coverage but do not have good health. These policies disregard health and medical history with the tradeoff of higher premiums and lower coverage limits. 

Gender is also a factor insurance companies take into account. Studies show that women have a slightly higher life expectancy than men, so men typically pay more expensive life insurance premiums. Whether or not policy premiums are based on gender identity or assigned sex at birth depends on the specific insurance company. 

Smoking status is another very relevant consideration for insurance companies. Smoking presents several risks and causes 45,000 deaths in Canada every year. Life insurance companies account for all tobacco use, including cigarettes, vaping, and chewing tobacco. If you stop smoking, you can get better rates on your policy after about a year. 

Insurance companies will probably charge more for coverage if a person works a high-risk job. Jobs that are considered high-risk can include:

• Construction
• Military
• Resource extraction (e.g., logging, mining, fishing, oil drilling, etc.)
• Industrial occupations (e.g., factories, chemical plants, warehouses, etc.)
• Aviation and aerospace
• Emergency and first responders (e.g., EMTs, police, firefighters, etc.)

Life insurance companies also consider whether you engage in any high-risk behaviours or activities. For instance, if you are a regular skydiver, you will probably have to pay more for your policy. Hobbies that may affect policy costs include things like owning a motorcycle, rock climbing, and driving. 

• Licensed insurance agents
• Insurance companies
• Lenders
• Registered insurance brokers

The main benefit of life insurance is to support family and loved ones in the event of your death. Children and non-working spouses need a source of income to manage daily expenses, such as housing, food, healthcare, and education. Life insurance reimburses them for any lost income when you are gone. A life insurance policy can provide peace of mind and financial security. 

Life insurance policies can also offer convenient tax benefits and wealth-building strategies. For example, beneficiaries can receive the death benefit tax-free when you pass away. The cash value of a permanent life insurance policy provides another financial resource to tap into. You can take out tax-free loans against the policy’s value and directly access the cash value by decreasing the death benefits. 

Life insurance can take the stress out of family and loved ones performing end-of-life duties. The typical cost of a funeral in Canada is between $5,000 to $10,000, not including costs to organize end-of-life affairs such as property management. You can specify in your will that a portion of your life insurance should cover these end-of-life costs, such as funeral and legal expenses.

Many insurance policies allow for “riders”—special insurance additions that let you access the value of your policy while alive to pay for medical care. If you require medical care in your old age, you can purchase a rider so you won’t have to worry about funding additional medical care. Other riders can allow you to waive premium payments if you become disabled while your policy is active. 

Suppose you have a retirement fund but feel like you may need additional funds during old age. In that case, a permanent life insurance policy can supplement retirement income by accessing the policy’s cash value. You can also use a tax-free loan against the value of the policy. Remember that creditors will deduct unpaid debts from the death benefit if you pass away with a loan balance.