Importance of life insurance coverage
How does life insurance work in Canada?
Life insurance policies are there to offer some protection for your loved ones who rely on you for financial support. You’ll know you need to have insurance if you’re working, and your family relies on your income each month. You simply need to consider if you were gone, would your family be able to cover their costs?
Your insurance policy is an agreement between you and a life insurance company. In return for paying a monthly premium, the insurance provider commits to paying a lump sum to your beneficiaries when you pass away. This is known as the tax-free death benefit. It is a sum that your loved ones can use to pay for expenses including mortgage payments, debt, etc. However, this agreement is only in place so long as you continue to make your regular monthly payments and your term does not run out.
According to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, 29 million Canadians have insurance. Twenty-two of those have life insurance that equals $5.1 trillion. In 2020, insurance companies paid $97 billion in benefits.
Types of life insurance
Permanent life insurance
Permanent or whole life insurance is a policy that covers you for your entire life. Life insurance rates for these policies are often fixed and a little higher than term insurance. However, it also acts as a savings and investment vehicle.
Each month when you pay your insurance premiums, the insurance company will put some money aside in a cash-value account. This grows each time you pay for your insurance. You can borrow this money or even cancel the policy and take the cash out.
Term life insurance
A term life insurance policy only lasts a limited time. You won’t have coverage for your whole life. Rather, you can choose a 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35-year term. That means, if you pass away within the term your loved ones will receive the death benefit. But, if your policy has expired or the term is up, your beneficiaries will not get a payout from the insurance company.
You can also choose to have a term life insurance policy until you are 65 or 80. But unlike a whole life insurance policy, there is no cash value accumulated. Once the policy expires or you cancel it, you won’t have coverage anymore.
Benefits of permanent life insurance
Benefits of term life insurance
Flexibility
Simple
Adjustable
Affordable
How much life insurance do I need?
- Do you have dependents, like your spouse or children, who count on you as the primary breadwinner?
- How much debt do you owe?
- Are you still paying your mortgage?
- Will there be enough money for funeral and burial costs when you pass away?
You want to be sure you get enough coverage to provide for your family, so they don’t need to move from their home or go without daily essentials. So, if you have debts owing, you’ll want to buy enough coverage to pay off your debts and still provide enough for your loved ones to meet their needs.
It’s also important to remember that you might not need insurance for the rest of your life. You may be better off with term life insurance.
Getting a life insurance quote
When you decide that it’s time to buy insurance you’ll want to shop around before you decide on an insurance provider. However, it can sometimes be frustrating to try and get a quote from some life insurance companies. Many have a time-consuming process where you are asked endless questions to determine the product that’s right for you.
At Shelter Bay Insurance, we help you get life insurance quotes from providers that best suit your lifestyle and needs. We’re like a one-stop shop because our brokers have access to many different insurance products. So, we’ll be able to provide you with life insurance quotes and several options. Working with our brokers can make shopping for insurance quotes easy. Here are some of the things we’ll need to know to help you find the best coverage:
Basic details
Pick your coverage
Get your quote
Benefits of comparing life insurance quotes
Getting quotes from our life insurance brokers gives you a number of advantages, including:
Save time – Rather than calling around or filling out endless online forms, you can get several quotes by contacting Shelter Bay. We save you time and energy.
Save money – Comparing life insurance quotes allows you to select the insurance policy that is right for you and your budget. Our life insurance brokers can help you compare what various life insurance providers are offering. We can also let you know if you’re eligible for any discounts on your life insurance.
Choices – Unlike an insurance company that can only offer you quotes on their life insurance products, Shelter Bay brokers are able to give you a choice of life insurance providers. We’ll find you life insurance quotes from several companies so you can decide the one that’s right for you.
How life insurance rates work
- Age – the younger you are the less risk you’ll pass away. So, it’s better to buy life insurance early so your premiums will be smaller.
- Type of policy – the longer your policy lasts the higher your premiums, which is why term life insurance costs less than whole life insurance.
- Coverage – the more life insurance coverage you want for your beneficiaries the higher your premiums.
- Gender – women pay less than men because they have a longer life expectancy.
- Medical history – those with a history of illness will be charged higher premiums.
- Lifestyle – the activities you engage in can impact your life insurance rate. For example, smokers will pay higher rates than non-smokers.
Why choose Shelter Bay?
At Shelter Bay, we know that buying life insurance to protect your family is a big decision. It can sometimes also be a difficult one with so many life insurance providers in Canada. That’s where we can step in and help. We’re insurance brokers, not agents. That means we don’t work for any particular life insurance company.
Our team has relationships with many different insurance providers. We understand the types of life insurance products they offer and what will fit you best. You can be confident that when you work with a Shelter Bay Insurance broker, we’re offering your advice you can trust.
Get the best insurance for you
Our brokers have families too and know how much you want to provide for them and offer security for your loved ones. That’s why we aim to get you the best life insurance coverage that suits you. When you deal directly with an insurance provider, you’re only going to find out about the insurance products they offer. But if you want to get the best life insurance for you, it’s essential to shop around.
With our help, you’ll be able to compare life insurance quotes from different companies and find one that fits you. You’ll be able to save money on premiums as well as time because you won’t have to call several different insurance providers. We are here for you whether you want some life insurance quotes or need answers about your coverage. Contact Shelter Bay Insurance today.