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Using a Life Insurance Calculator

BY READERS DIGEST

1st Jan 2015 Insurance & Legal

Using a Life Insurance Calculator

When you are considering getting life insurance you need to pay attention to the type of policy that is right for your needs. If you are unsure what is right for you, a life insurance calculator can help.

Why Does Getting the Right Cover Matter?

It is important that you get life-insurance cover that matches your income and monthly outgoings, to ensure your family’s finances are covered in case something happens to you. If you purchase a policy without calculating the specific life cover you need, you could have a policy that is unsuited to you.

Not only could it mean that your family is financially worse off if something happens to you, it might mean you end up paying too much for your needs.

How Does It Work?

A life-insurance calculator typically works by asking you specific information regarding your financial situation. You need to provide information on your monthly income, if you have a mortgage, other debts you might have, whether you want to leave money to pay for funeral costs and whether you have any other savings or investments.

Depending on the calculator you use, you might also be asked information such as how many children you have. You will also need to include the number of years you want your life insurance to cover after you are gone. Perhaps you want to provide for your family for ten years after your passing, or perhaps a shorter two-year policy is suitable enough for you and your family.

The calculator will then calculate the type of cover you need. You’ll often get suggestions and a number of life-insurance quote options to look at in your own time.

How Much Information Should You Provide?

If you want to get the right kind of policy for your needs, then you should try to provide as much information as possible. The more detailed and accurate the information you add to the calculator, the more accurate your life-insurance quote will be.

Before you start using a life-insurance calculator, gather all the required information and think about what you want from your cover. It is possible to get life insurance that leaves a lump sum for your family in addition to the regular cover, or you can choose to exclude funeral payments.

Where to Find Life-Insurance Calculators

Life-insurance calculators are provided by almost all insurance company websites. You can also find them through comparison websites as well as directly from providers. When making an initial calculation, be sure to use a well-known site you’ve heard of in order to get an accurate quote. Remember you can then take the information you’re provided elsewhere to shop around; you also won’t have to go with the life-insurance quote the specific website might provide you.

It is important that you know that a life-insurance calculator might not provide you everything you need, as many life-cover plans come with exclusions as well. Specific factors, such as your physical health and lifestyle, might increase or lower your premiums. However, it is a good way to get started and get a basic idea of the right policy for your needs.

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