Term insurance and whole life insurance are two completely different policies that might seem baffling at first glance. Whole life insurance is an insurance policy that will last throughout your whole life (just like the name says it does) as long as you pay your premiums. On the contrary, term insurance is an insurance policy that is only for a specific period of time so thus, term insurance.
With whole life insurance, you will receive cash value after paying those premiums throughout the years. It depends on the whole life insurance policy whether you pay premiums for most of your life or your whole life. The premium stays the same every year until you are done paying your premiums. It doesn’t increase or decrease.
Whole life insurance is basically an insurance that gives you back what you paid with cash value from premiums you paid. It helps your family financially when you are no longer around to support them. Whole life insurance usually cost more but it is a good investment for your family. Also, with whole life insurance your cash value is tax deferred as long as you are still paying for the premiums. The comforting thing about whole life insurance is that the premium doesn’t go higher as you grow old.
Term life insurance has a time limit on it and it is more affordable than whole life insurance because the premium seems reasonable when you are young but it doesn’t guarantee you that you will receive your cash value after paying the premium. The only way you can get cash value out of your premium is that if you die during the term you hold the insurance policy. Unlike whole life insurance, the premium for term life insurance increases as you grow older and it becomes more expensive year after year. This issue make individuals unable to afford the policy as they reach their senior years. So the best time to purchase term life insurance is when you are young and it will benefit your family when you are no longer in this world.
Both of these insurances have their own pros and cons but they also have one thing in common as well, to provide financial security for your loved ones.