Honest, educational resources to help you make informed decisions
∞ Free Forever
We believe everyone deserves access to honest, unbiased information about life insurance. Our platform provides educational tools and resources to help you understand your options without sales pressure.
Whether you're exploring life insurance for the first time or comparing options, our interactive tools make it easy to:
All tools are free and available forever. We don't sell insurance or collect commissions.
Assess your financial situation and insurance needs with our quick questionnaire.
Calculate how much life insurance coverage you might need based on your situation.
Compare different types of life insurance and understand the trade-offs.
Track your expenses and see how much you can afford for insurance.
Learn key terms and concepts used in life insurance.
Read articles and guides about life insurance and personal finance.
Have questions? Want to learn more? Submit your information below and we'll be in touch.
We respect your privacy. Your information will only be used to contact you about life insurance education.
Answer six quick questions to see how prepared you are. Nothing here is stored or sent anywhere — it runs entirely in your browser.
This quiz is for general education only and is not financial, insurance, or legal advice. For guidance tailored to your situation, consult a licensed professional.
A needs-based estimate using the common DIME approach (Debt, Income, Mortgage, Education) minus what you already have set aside. All amounts stay in your browser.
This is a simplified educational estimate, not a recommendation to buy a specific amount or type of coverage. Your real needs depend on many personal factors. Consult a licensed insurance professional before making decisions.
The two broad families of life insurance, side by side.
| Feature | Term Life | Permanent (Whole / Universal) |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage length | A fixed period, e.g. 10, 20, or 30 years | Your entire life, as long as premiums are paid |
| Typical cost | Lower premiums for the same death benefit | Much higher premiums for the same death benefit |
| Cash value | None | Builds cash value you can borrow against or withdraw |
| Complexity | Simple and easy to compare | More moving parts (crediting, fees, loans) |
| Premiums | Usually level during the term, then rise sharply or end | Level or flexible, designed to last a lifetime |
| Best suited for | Temporary needs: income replacement, a mortgage, raising kids | Lifelong needs: estate planning, a dependent with lifelong needs, final expenses |
Slide to set your age and desired coverage. The bars show a rough annual price for each, and the section below shows what buying term and investing the difference could look like.
These are rough illustrative estimates for a healthy non-smoker, not real quotes. Actual premiums depend on your health, gender, tobacco use, the insurer, and underwriting. Whole life also builds cash value that isn't shown here. The investment projection assumes a constant return and ignores taxes, fees, and market ups and downs — real results vary and can be lower or negative. Term coverage ends when the term does, while whole life is designed to last your whole life. This is general education, not financial, tax, or insurance advice — talk with a licensed professional about your situation.
Answer three quick questions for a general starting point.
This comparison is general education, not a recommendation for your situation. Both types have many variations, and the right choice depends on your goals and budget. Speak with a licensed professional before deciding.
Enter your monthly numbers to see what's left over and a rough sense of what you could comfortably set aside for coverage. Everything stays in your browser.
This snapshot is a simple educational estimate, not budgeting or financial advice. Actual insurance premiums vary widely by age, health, coverage amount, and policy type.
Plain-English definitions of common life insurance terms. Start typing to filter.
The amount you pay (monthly or annually) to keep a policy active.
The amount the insurer pays to your beneficiaries when the insured person dies. Also called the face amount.
The stated coverage amount of the policy — the death benefit before any loans or adjustments.
The person or entity you name to receive the death benefit.
The person who owns the policy and controls it. Often, but not always, the same person who is insured.
Coverage for a set number of years. If the insured dies during the term, beneficiaries receive the death benefit; if not, coverage simply ends.
A type of permanent coverage that lasts your whole life and builds cash value on a set schedule.
Permanent coverage with flexible premiums and an adjustable death benefit, plus a cash-value component.
A savings-like component in permanent policies that grows over time and can sometimes be borrowed against or withdrawn.
An optional add-on that changes or expands a policy, such as a waiver of premium or accelerated death benefit.
The insurer's process of assessing your health and risk to decide whether to offer coverage and at what price.
A term policy whose premium and death benefit stay the same for the whole term.
A term policy that can be converted to permanent coverage, usually without a new medical exam, within a set window.
The cash you would receive if you cancel a permanent policy, after any fees are deducted.
When a policy ends because a required premium wasn't paid.
A window (often two years) during which the insurer can review and potentially deny a claim for misstatements on the application.
A feature that lets you access part of the death benefit early if you're diagnosed with a qualifying serious illness.
A rider that keeps a policy in force without premium payments if you become totally disabled.
Coverage offered through an employer or organization, often at low or no cost but typically limited in amount.
A policy issued without medical questions or an exam, usually with smaller benefits and higher relative cost.
Short, plain-language guides. Click any title to expand it.
There's no single right number, but a common starting point is to add up what your income currently covers and what would still need to be paid if you weren't there. A simple framework is DIME: Debt, Income, Mortgage, and Education.
Estimate the debts someone would inherit or be affected by, the years of income your household would need to replace, your remaining mortgage, and any future education or childcare costs. Then subtract savings and any coverage you already have. The Coverage Calculator on this site walks through exactly that.
Buying far more than you need wastes money on premiums; buying too little leaves a gap. The goal is enough to keep the people who depend on you financially stable.
Term insurance covers you for a set number of years and is usually the most affordable way to get a large death benefit. It's well suited to temporary needs — raising children, paying off a mortgage, or replacing income during your working years.
Permanent insurance (whole or universal life) is designed to last your entire life and builds cash value over time, but costs considerably more for the same death benefit. It tends to fit lifelong needs like estate planning or providing for a dependent with lifelong needs.
Many people start with term because of the cost, and some choose a convertible term policy so they can switch to permanent later without a new medical exam.
Underwriting is how an insurer decides whether to offer you a policy and at what price. It usually involves an application with health and lifestyle questions, and sometimes a brief medical exam or a review of medical records.
Factors like age, health history, tobacco use, and occupation affect your rate. Being honest matters: misstatements discovered during the contestability period (often the first two years) can lead to a claim being denied.
If traditional underwriting is a concern, some policies use simplified or guaranteed-issue underwriting with fewer questions, though usually at a higher relative cost or with smaller benefits.
Waiting too long. Premiums generally rise with age and can increase after a health change, so coverage is often cheapest when you're younger and healthy.
Relying only on work coverage. Employer group life is a nice benefit but is usually modest and typically ends when you leave the job.
Never updating beneficiaries. Life events like marriage, divorce, or a new child are good prompts to review who's named on your policies and accounts.
Guessing at the amount. A quick needs analysis beats a round-number guess in either direction.
A good habit is to revisit your coverage every few years and after any major life change: marriage or divorce, a new child, buying a home, a significant income change, or paying off large debts.
These moments change how much protection your household needs — sometimes more, sometimes less. Reviewing also lets you confirm your beneficiaries are still current.
Want to go deeper or get personalized guidance? A licensed insurance professional or your state's department of insurance can help with questions specific to your situation. Head to the Contact tab to reach out.
These guides are general education only and are not financial, insurance, tax, or legal advice.