If you have a spouse and children and are the main income earner of the family, you do not want to leave them in a position of hardship should anything happen to you. Yet without considering the purchase of a life insurance policy, this is a situation that could become a reality. Here are some things you need to know.

To save money on a life insurance policy you should stay away from “guaranteed issue” policies. The reason is because these policies are given to most people who apply, and a medical exam is not needed. Therefore, companies that issue these types of policies have no way of knowing whether you are in good or bad health. Because of these high risks, the premiums you will have to pay will be high.

Consider the risk involved in your potential life insurance policy. If you feel comfortable with a high-risk investment as your life insurance, variable or universal policies may be the ones for you. If you are more conservative and want a positive guarantee take an old-fashioned term life insurance policy.

If you need a lot of coverage for a smaller premium, you will probably benefit most from a term life insurance plan. This plan will not build up equity, but will pay out a higher death benefit. They do have an ending date though, thus the title “term life insurance.” Make sure you have other plans in place for when this coverage runs out.

To make your life insurance premiums lower you should improve your health. Losing weight, quitting smoking, and exercising frequently are a few things you can do to make you healthier. Those who are in bad health will pay higher premiums, so if you improve your health, your premiums will drop.

When buying life insurance, avoid buying expensive riders which are policies that only benefit in a certain situation such as a cancer policy. You are much better served by a policy that covers everything instead of one that only covers one type of illness or accident. Insurance agents may try to sell them because they profit from them but are rarely useful to you.

When deciding what term to take for your insurance, take a look at what will need to be done with that money. If your children are newborns, a 25 year term policy will make sure that they are cared for if anything happens to you before they are able to financially take care of themselves. If you have a 30 year mortgage on your home, considering making that your term to protect your home while it’s being paid off.

Buy the right amount of life insurance to cover all of your needs. Skimping on life insurance is not a good idea. Term insurance, especially, is very affordable, so make sure you get as much insurance as you need. For a rule of thumb, consider buying insurance that equals approximately 6 to 10 times your income.

Using the advice above, you should now be a little wiser as to whether buying a life insurance policy would be beneficial to you and your family. While it may have a monthly cost that seems like an extra burden, is the financial burden your family would face without you not just as much, if not more?