Life insurance or life assurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, the insurer agrees to pay a lump-sum of money at the insured’s death. In return, the policy owner agrees to pay a stipulated amount called a premium. A benefit is paid to the designated Beneficiaries should the insured pass away.
The primary purpose of life insurance in Canada is to move the financial risk faced by those you leave behind to the insurance company if you make an early exit.
Prime types of life insurance are:
Term Insurance
Term insurance is a type of life insurance policy that provides coverage for a certain period of time, or a specified “term” of years. If the insured dies during the time period specified in the policy and the policy is active – or in force – then a death benefit will be paid.
Whole Life Insurance
Whole life insurance provides coverage for the life of the insured. In addition to providing a death benefit, whole life also contains a savings component where cash value may accumulate. These policies are also known as permanent or traditional life insurance.
Universal Life Insurance
Universal life insurance is permanent life insurance with an investment savings element and low premiums like term life insurance. Most universal life insurance policies contain a flexible premium option. However, some require a single premium (single lump-sum premium) or fixed premiums (scheduled fixed premiums).