Life insurance, explained simply.
Honest, jargon-free guides to help you understand your options. When you're ready, a real person from our team can help you compare coverage. There's no charge and no obligation.
Can you use life insurance to build cash value?
Permanent policies like indexed universal life can build cash value, but it's a complex, fee-bearing feature, not a guaranteed investment. An honest, balanced look at how cash value works, what caps and floors mean, and the risks regulators flag.
Do you need a medical exam for life insurance?
Some life insurance policies require a medical exam and some don't. This guide explains medical underwriting, why insurers ask about your health, and how no-exam options compare to exam-based ones.
How life insurance pays out: beneficiaries and claims
A plain-English walkthrough of how a life insurance payout actually works: what a beneficiary is, how a claim is filed, why proceeds are usually tax-free and bypass probate, and what can delay a claim.
How much life insurance do I need?
A plain-English walkthrough for estimating how much life insurance might fit your situation: income to replace, debts and a mortgage, final expenses, and what to subtract for savings and benefits you already have.
10, 20, or 30 years: how to choose a term length
Term life is usually sold in set lengths like 10, 20, or 30 years. This guide walks through a common way to pick one: match the term to how long your obligations last. It also covers the trade-offs to weigh along the way.
Indexed universal life (IUL) insurance, explained
A neutral, plain-English look at indexed universal life insurance: how its cash value is tied to a market index with a floor and a cap, why it carries fees and complexity, and why regulators urge caution with the illustrations used to sell it.
Do you need life insurance after having a baby?
A new baby is one of the most common reasons people buy life insurance. A plain-English look at why a child changes the math, how much coverage new parents commonly consider, and why term life is often the starting point.
Life insurance for new homeowners: protecting your mortgage
Buying a home is a common reason to think about life insurance, but "covering your mortgage" can mean more than one product. A plain-English look at term life, mortgage protection insurance, and how they differ from PMI.
Life insurance for seniors over 65: what to know
Later in life, the reason for life insurance often shifts from replacing decades of income to covering final expenses or leaving something behind. A plain-English look at what tends to fit, how cost and health factor in, and what varies by policy.
Do stay-at-home parents need life insurance?
A stay-at-home parent earns no salary, but the childcare and household work they provide would cost real money to replace. A plain-English look at why coverage can still make sense and how families think about an amount.
Term vs. whole life insurance: what's the difference?
A clear, jargon-free comparison of term life and whole life insurance: how each one works, what cash value means, how the cost generally compares, and questions that can help you decide which fits.
What happens when your term life policy ends?
Term life insurance covers you for a set number of years. What happens when that window closes? A plain-English look at how coverage generally expires, and the common options to consider before it does.
What is final expense insurance, and who is it for?
A clear look at final expense insurance: what it generally is, the typical benefit sizes you'll see, how it differs from larger term and whole life policies, and the kind of person who commonly considers it.
What is mortgage protection insurance?
A plain-English look at mortgage protection insurance: what it generally is, how it differs from the private mortgage insurance lenders require, and how it compares to a regular term life policy that pays your beneficiary directly.
Whole life insurance: how it works and who it's for
Whole life is permanent coverage designed to last a lifetime and build cash value, generally at a higher cost than term. A balanced, plain-English look at how it works, how it differs from term, and who commonly considers it.