1. 60 POINTS
    Rebecca Pollack
    There are a lot of factors that go into the price of life insurance. Every year that you get older, the price increases for insurance. It also depends on how much life insurance you are looking for. The higher the death benefit, the higher the monthly premium. Another factor to consider is your health. Life insurance is based on the insurance company’s risk.

    If you are unhealthy or have a few high risk health conditions, you will have to pay a higher rate for insurance. It is also up to the insurance company. Some insurance companies charge more for the exact same coverage. Also, women have a longer life expectancy then men so the rates for women are usually lower.

    There are two types of life insurance too. Term insurance only covers you for a period of time and whole life covers you for a lifetime and you are guaranteed a payout. Term is usually cheaper because if you don’t pass in the specified term, the insurance company does not pay out anything.

    For policies that have a large death benefit, the insurance company usually asks for an exam to be done that checks your blood, heart rate, and other key health related factors. The rate is usually higher for smokers compared to non-smokers. Life insurance rates are determined on a case by case basis.
    Answered on February 20, 2013
  2. 365 POINTS
    Lee Martinez
    Owner, The Sentry Agency, California
    The smallest policy I have issued was $5.00 a month. I have heard of agents writing huge cases for 10s of thousands of dollars a month.

    Really to many factors to give a good answer. The basic questions an agent is going to ask in quoting you a monthly amount are. Your age, sex, smoker or not and health. Also the amount of coverage or the need to be covered, then how long do you want the coverage. Those few bits of information can get the conversation started. A good agent will be writing the answers down and developing questions that are particular to you and your wants and needs.
    Answered on April 5, 2013
  3. 1165 POINTS
    Chris Abrams
    Founder, Abrams Insurance Solutions, Inc., San Diego, CA
    The cost of life insurance can vary greatly depending on the amount of coverage, your age, type of coverage, gender, tobacco use and the duration of coverage.  Term insurance is the least expensive and could be as low as a few dollars  a month and up.  When life insurance is used for cash accumulation and to take advantage of the tax benefits, there are people who save millions of dollars per year into a life insurance policy.
    Answered on May 9, 2013
  4. 61667 POINTS
    Steve Savant
    Syndicated Financial Columnist, Host of the weekly talk show Steve Savant's Money, the Name of the Game, Scottsdale Arizona
    Life insurance premiums have two main categories to pricing: one is product, the other is you. Product pricing is a company's actuarial determination. Your medical information like gender, age, smoking status, health history and current medical condition contribute to the premium cost. So does your behavior like motor vehicle violations, hazardous vacations and dangerous recreational activities.
    Answered on September 13, 2013
  5. 63333 POINTS
    Peggy Mace
    Most of the U.S.
    To see what life insurance may cost per month for you, go to a website that offers instant quotes. By putting in your information, you will get an idea of what a policy would cost for someone of your age, sex, tobacco status, and build. Some quote engines even allow you to input some health information. You can try different face amounts and term lengths to see prices for different types of policies.
    Answered on September 30, 2013
  6. 1554 POINTS
    Marcy Tooker
    Life & Health Insurance Agent, The Tooker Agency, Riverhead NY
    The cost of life insurance can range from a few dollars per month to many thousands per month. The real question is how much would it cost you to get the proper policy for your situation. In order to find that out you need to first determine how much death benefit you need.

    The best way to calculate how much life insurance you need is by doing a comprehensive needs analysis. If you are looking for a quick rule-of-thumb, we recommend you carry at least ten times your annual income in life insurance. The second factor is how long do you think you will need the coverage. You might want life insurance to cover your mortgage which will be paid off in a certain period of time, or you might want life insurance just until your children are grown and self supporting. Maybe you want to have life insurance for whenever you die, be it next year or when you're 90. The third key factor is your budget. You might like the idea of a large permanent life insurance policy, but the premium may simply be more than you can reasonably afford.

    So in order to determine how much life insurance costs per month, you need to figure out how much life insurance you need, how long you need it and what your budget allows. By going through this process you can determine how much the proper life insurance policy for you will cost.
    Answered on April 24, 2015
  7. 10968 POINTS
    Tim Wilhoit
    Owner, Your Friend 4 Life, Brentwood TN
    That is a very difficult question to answer. It is kind of like asking a realtor how much a house costs? Which house? There are just too many variables to consider when buying life insurance. First the type of life insurance policy needed whole life, universal life or term life and how long of a term? Then the proper face amount must be selected. Once the purchase criteria is chosen, then the underwriting criteria must be met. This will include information such as net worth, income, health status, build, age, state of residence, occupation and life style. Once everything has been underwritten the exact monthly premium will be selected. At this point you can either accept the offer or alter the coverage to meet your budget. I recommend using an experienced independent life insurance broker to help you navigate this maze and find you proper coverage at the best price possible for your unique situation.
    Answered on April 30, 2015
  8. 5877 POINTS
    Stan Cox II
    Insurance Adviser - Broker, SC Insurance Services, Oahu, Hawaii
    Wow! There are as many answers to that question as there are qualifiers! There are over 10 different types of Life Insurance, and over 1000 providers. Each provider has their own pricing for the same or very similar coverage. And there is a wide range of premiums dependent on the type of life insurance.

    All that said, the more important factors that determine the monthly cost or premium are 1) age, 2) sex, 3) health, 4) tobacco or non-tobacco, and 5) benefit amount.

    To determine the best type of life insurance for you and the proper amount of benefit a number of things about you need to be known including your goals and needs. Each person is unique and has unique circumstances. That's why I focus on educating my clients about the various types of Life Insurance available, the benefits and drawbacks of each. Then with your particular qualifiers we can match the best product(s) to your unique needs.
    Answered on May 7, 2015
  9. 1492 POINTS
    Jeff Davis
    Insurance Advisor, Lordship Insurance Services, California
    It depends. There is no one answer fits all here. It will depend on many factors such as weight, age, location, occupation, past health, current health, smoker or not, etc. There are some policies that issue without many health questions asked but these policies will have limits as to how much they will insure.

    The best way to answer this is to contact an Insurance Agent (like me) and get a free, no obligation quote. When you are able to buy insurance is typically the best time to buy it because tomorrow you may find yourself unable to get insurance.
    Answered on July 21, 2015
  10. 246 POINTS
    Ronald Mesler
    We Protect Doctors, LLC, Boise, ID
    How much does life insurance cost per month? Easy, roughly 1/12th of the annual cost with possibly some small fee for the monthly withdrawals. OK--that is my attempt at humor.

    Since you are asking about cost right out of the gate, I will only speak to TERM insurance. Other authors have spoken to the medical factors so I will not. Several other factors will also drive pricing. For example, length of term, such as 10-20-30 year periods. Generally the longer the term the higher the cost. Here I am also assuming that like the vast majority of applicants you want the price to remain level for the entire period.

    Most obviously the sheer amount of coverage you need--the more you want the more it is going to cost you. If you think that you will be building significant wealth over time, such as a physician might, then consider applying for and putting in force several policies. That way, you can drop one and keep the others in force if you choose to partially self-insure.

    Whatever you do, get sufficient coverage for your anticipated needs. You will probably never be healthier than you are today!

    I hope that was helpful,

    Ron
    Answered on February 16, 2016
  11. 521 POINTS
    Edward Crowe
    Owner, Crowe and Associates, Brookfield, CT
    The cost of life insurance depends on a number of factors. I have listed a majority of them below...

    Type of insurance: Term insurance cost a lot less than permanent insurance but term will expire after a set number of years such as 10,20,30. Prices with permanent insurance vary as well with UL usually costing less than whole life but whole life builds a guaranteed cash value much better than UL will.

    Face amount: This one goes without saying really. The larger the death benefits, the more the insurance will cost in general . There are price breaks at certain face amounts however.

    Health: this is a big factor. The healthier the person is the lower the cost of the insurance will be. A person with a super preferred rating will cost much less than someone that can only get a standard rating. Tobacco use also drives prices up a great deal.

    Company and State: Rates will vary greatly from company to company (even for the same type and level of coverage). Rates are also different by state.

    Fully underwritten vs. quick/easy issue: A fully underwritten policy requiring an exam is potentially less expensive than an easy/quick issue policy that does not require a medical exam/para med.
    Answered on February 21, 2016
  12. 1976 POINTS
    Ronald Hinch
    Regional Marketing Director, Capital Choice Financial Group,
    The cost an individual pays monthly for life insurance depends on the age of the client, medical condition, and the type of life insurance being purchased. While the age and health condition of the client are the biggest factors the type of life insurance a person chooses is a key factor. I personally recommend only level term protection to all of my clients. It is that cheapest and allows my clients to get the right amount of insurance needed at the time in life that they need it most. A cash value type policy will be much too expensive and not give adequate protection.
    Answered on May 24, 2016
  13. 1185 POINTS
    Scott W Johnson
    Manager, Marindependent Insurance Services LLC, California
    Thanks for the question. The cost of life insurance varies by the dollar amount, policy length, and multiple multiple rating factors.

    These rating factors will include, but are not limited to: Your Age, Gender, State, Health Condition, Medications taken, Career, Education, Hobbies, and numerous medical tests and conditions.

    The range in yearly cost is extraordinary.
    Answered on February 28, 2017
  14. 196 POINTS
    Michael Richardson
    Owner /Agent, Guardian Senior Protection, Dallas Fort Worth Texas
    A healthy person who's age falls between 18 and 70 can expect to pay an average of $65 a month for 250,000 worth of coverage for life insurance. The cost will vary from company to company with each company having different underwriting guidelines. Lifestyle and overall health play a pivotal role in determining you're rate for coverage. Best practice is to get at least 5 quotes from A rated carriers.
    Answered on March 22, 2019
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