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How Family History Affects Your Life Insurance Rates

Your genes can determine a lot in your life, things like the color of your eyes, your height, and even whether you will develop any mental or physical health conditions. Your genes and your family history also help determine how much you will pay for life insurance, since insurers use information about your family’s medical history as one way to figure out how much of a risk you will be to insure. But have no fear, even if you have a lot of health issues in your background, you can still find a great affordable life insurance policy that will provide the coverage your family needs.

How Your Family History Is Taken Into Consideration

Your family’s history plays a role in life insurance companies determining how much of a risk you are.

When you apply for a life insurance policy, you will have to go through an underwriting process, during which insurance companies will require you to undergo a physical exam, as well as give them your medical history and your family’s medical history to help determine how much of a risk you are to cover. This means that, even if you are healthy, but your family history has some serious and possibly hereditary illnesses lurking in it, you could still be charged a higher rate.

When looking at your family’s medical history, most life insurance companies will only be concerned with any major hereditary illnesses that could affect you. There is a list of illnesses or procedures that life insurance companies will look for in your family history, including:

Breast cancer
Colon cancer
Lung cancer
Melanoma
Pancreatic cancer
Prostate cancer
Ovarian cancer
Heart attack
Angioplasty
Bypass surgery
Valve surgery
Arrhythmia

Finding A Great Plan

family of 3 under an umbrella — *Life insurance is a great secure way to make sure your family is protected when you can no longer provide.*

Even if your family has a history of any of the above-mentioned conditions, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find affordable life insurance. There are many different kinds of life insurance policies to choose from, which is why comparing plans is extremely important. Each life insurance company has its own guidelines of what they will look for in your medical history and in your family’s medical history, and how seriously they view each condition can differ. For example, some insurance companies might consider cardiovascular health problems more concerning than cancer, while others will not.

Your family has financial obligations that will not go away when you are gone; they will need your help more than ever with their expenses, and the last thing you want them to worry about is money while they are grieving. There are many great affordable life insurance options to choose from that will provide enough money for your family, for a low monthly price. The best way to find the right life insurance policy for you and your specific needs is by working with an agent who specializes in life insurance. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation below; each offers hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.

Do Men Pay More for Life Insurance?

It is no secret that, on average, women live longer than men do. In fact, women’s life spans are almost 8% longer on average than men’s life spans. So does this make a difference when it comes to buying life insurance? In general, yes: life insurance companies know these stats, and typically view men as a higher risk to insure than women. So how much more can men expect to pay? And what determines their rates?

Why Men Are More of a Risk

As stated above, men usually pay more for life insurance because they are seen by life insurance companies as a higher risk to insure than women. Studies not only show that men tend to die at a younger age than women, but that they also tend to live riskier lives than women, engaging in more high-risk activities such as racing and adventure sports. These types of hobbies can mean higher rates when trying to purchase a life insurance policy.

Studies also show that men are more likely to suffer from certain health conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. In addition, according to statistics from Mountain Ice: illustration of a man grabbing his chest

Men are nearly 10 times more likely to develop inguinal hernias than women, and five times more likely to have aortic aneurysms.
American men are more than three times more likely than women to develop kidney stones, become alcoholics, or have bladder cancer.
Men are about twice as likely to suffer from emphysema or a duodenal ulcer.
1 in 2 men are diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, compared to 1 in 3 women.
Men are more likely to develop oral and throat cancer, as well as periodontal (gum) disease.
33% of men aged 20 and over have hypertension.
36.6% of men aged 20 and over are obese.
Men are 1.5 times more likely to die of heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disease.
Men are three to seven times more likely than women to commit suicide.
Men live on average five fewer years than women.

And not only are men more likely to develop these health conditions, but they are also less likely to visit their doctor and stay on top of their health. Consider this:

Women are 33% more likely to seek outpatient care.
The rate of non-illness care visits by women is 100% higher than that of men – this means that women are 100% more likely to visit the doctor than men!
Women ages 15-44 visit the doctor 56% more often than men in the same age category.
Men are 40% more likely to skip recommended cholesterol screenings.
57.6% of men aged 18 and over meet the federal physical activity guidelines for aerobic activity.
12% of men aged 18 and over are in fair or poor health.
Men account for 55% of the workforce but 92% of workplace deaths.

Find An Affordable Rate

These statistics might seem overwhelming, but they show why men are seen more as a risk by insurance companies. But despite all this, affordable life insurance is never out of reach! If your hobbies are not overly risky, and probably won’t get you hurt or killed, and if you live a relatively healthy lifestyle, you can find a great affordable policy. And having a life insurance policy will mean you will be able to provide your family with a financial security net in the event of your passing.

There are many different kinds of life insurance policies to choose from, including whole life insurance, term life insurance, and final expense insurance, so if you’re not sure where to begin, consider using online tools, or speaking with an agent. The right policy for you is out there! We have provided the top insurance companies that offer life insurance policies below; each can give you hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates in the nation. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.

Help! Why Have My Life Insurance Premiums Increased?

Life insurance is usually pretty inexpensive, especially if you buy it when you are younger and healthier. It’s also a worthwhile expense: having a policy will provide a financial safety net for your family. And, in general, you will know exactly how much you need to budget for, since most life insurance policies will remain the same price for the life of the policy. With that being said, though, the premiums of some policies will increase with time, which can come as a big surprise. If you’ve been surprised like this, or if you want to avoid being surprised like this, read on to find out why your life insurance premiums might go up.

illustration of a man with his hand on his head holding a long bill — *Your premiums can increase for multiple reasons. This is increasingly true for certain types of policies.*

Reasons Your Premiums Could Increase

When you purchase a life insurance policy, your premiums are usually set based on a variety of factors, including your health, age, lifestyle, and more. Most term and permanent life insurance policies have level premiums, which means the payments stay the same throughout the life of the policy. But there are situations in which your premiums can go up over time.

A few reasons this can happen include:

Your policy doesn’t have level premiums– Some policies, like increasing term life insurance policies, have benefits that increase over time – with these types of policies, premium rates increase over time, as well. Universal life insurance also has premiums that can go up or down over time.
You have decided to convert your policy– If you have a term life insurance policy that is ending and you have decided to convert it to a permanent life insurance policy, you can expect increased premiums rates. You are now older than you were when you purchased the policy, and your health has probably changed, which can affect your premium rates.
You’ve renewed your policy– The same is true if your term policy is coming to an end and you choose to renew the policy: your annual premiums will change based on your current age and health.

What To Do

If your life insurance premiums do go up, you should contact your insurance company so you can check if there has been an error, and so they can explain why your rates went up. If you’re unhappy with the rate increase, consider other options, including looking for an affordable new policy. There are many kinds of life insurance policies out there to choose from that offer different benefits and premiums rates.

The best way to get an accurate quote in the first place, and not be surprised by your actual premium rates, is to provide as much information as possible when comparing policies from different life insurance companies. There are many different kinds of life insurance policies to choose from, including whole life insurance, term life insurance, and final expense insurance, so if you’re not sure where to begin, consider using online tools, or speaking with an agent. The right policy for you is out there!

We have provided the top insurance companies that offer life insurance policies below; each can give you hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates in the nation. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.

Common Health Conditions that Affect Life Insurance Rates

Roughly 133 million Americans – nearly half the population – suffer from at least one chronic condition, such as hypertension, heart disease, or arthritis. That’s a lot of people – so that many people can’t all get denied life insurance, right? The short answer is no, because there are so many different types of life insurance policies, even for people with health conditions, indulging terminal ones. That is one of the great things about life insurance: there’s a policy for every type of person. While this is good news, the one caveat is that policies can often be much more expensive for people with health problems: having health conditions will affect your life insurance rates, specifically the following common health conditions.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is very common: in fact, around one in three Americans suffer from it. Because of this, life insurance companies generally will not dismiss or label people as high risk just for having high blood pressure; however, because it can lead to more serious conditions, like heart disease or stroke, life insurance companies will increase your premiums if you have hypertension. But if you can prove that you are taking the necessary steps to control or lower your pressure, you can save money on your premiums.

High Cholesterol

This is another one of those conditions that seem like no big deal, but having high cholesterol also puts you at a higher risk of developing other conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Because of this, life insurance companies will consider you a higher risk, which means you will pay more in premiums unless you can prove you are managing your high cholesterol with medication or you’re working towards keeping it under control. If you’re doing things like making changes to your diet and losing weight to lower your bad cholesterol levels, you should be able to find affordable premiums from a reputable life insurance company.

Diabetes

If you are diagnosed with adult onset diabetes or type 2 diabetes, you are at a higher risk for developing other serious conditions, like heart disease, renal failure, and even blindness. If you can prove that you are keeping your diabetes under control, your life insurance company will consider you less of a risk and offer you lower premiums.

Obesity

Roughly 36.5% of American adults are considered obese, with that number most likely rising due to the pandemic. Obesity can lead to health problems like heart disease, cancer, stroke, or diabetes, meaning if you are obese, you will be at a higher risk for life insurance companies to cover, and you’ll get charged higher premiums. But if you can get your weight down by making some lifestyle changes, you can save money on life insurance premiums.

Mental Health Conditions

If you suffer from a mental health condition, you can still qualify for life insurance. For example, if you suffer from depression, you can still get an affordable life insurance policy as long as you can provide documentation that your condition is well managed. However, for more severe cases or those that are not well managed, it can be harder to get a policy. This includes people who:

Have dementia or Alzheimer’s
Reside in a hospital or nursing home
Have recently been rehabilitated for drug or alcohol use

Cancer

illustration of a woman sitting in a chair with an IV stand next to her — *Life insurance approval and premiums will depend on what stage the cancer is in.*

Most people think that having cancer means an automatic denial for life insurance, but you can get life insurance even if you have been diagnosed with cancer. There are different stages of this disease, which can determine how much you will pay for premiums: the more advanced the stage, the more expensive your premiums will be. The way life insurance companies will view your case will also depend on the type of cancer you have been diagnosed with: for example, prostate cancer has a lower survival rate than other cancers, so your premiums will be higher because you are a higher risk for them to cover.

Need Help Finding An Affordable Life Insurance Policy?

If something were to happen to you, your family would be facing emotional hardships, as well as financial ones. Life insurance is a great way to help your loved ones with those financial hardships: the money they receive will help pay for expenses related to your death, and any other debts or bills they have. There are many different kinds of life insurance policies to choose from, including whole life insurance, term life insurance, and final expense insurance, so if you’re not sure where to begin, consider using online tools, or speaking with an agent. The right policy for you is out there! We have provided the top insurance companies that offer life insurance policies below; each can give you hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates in the nation. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.

Does Marijuana Use Affect Your Life Insurance Rates?

Over the past couple of years, marijuana has been legalized in more and more states, meaning marijuana use has become more common. And, while many people are now more accepting of the use of it, there are still some instances in which using the drug can be used against you. For example, some life insurance companies might view marijuana use unfavorably; however, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be denied coverage, since different companies have different guidelines. Most insurers will want to know how often you use marijuana, among other factors. So, how will it affect your chances of getting a life insurance policy?

Do Smoker Rates Apply?

It probably comes as no surprise that smokers get charged more for any insurance plan they try to purchase, whether health insurance or life insurance, because smokers are seen as at a higher risk of death than people who do not smoke. Fortunately, though, many life insurance companies will classify marijuana users as nonsmokers, so rates will be lower for you if you use marijuana than they would be if you used tobacco products. You should be aware, though, that insurers will ask you how often you smoke.

How Often Do You Use Marijuana?

hand holding a white joint with the other hand lighting it up with a lighter — *How often you use marijuana will factor into how much your life insurance rate will be.*

Are you an avid marijuana user? Do you do it daily? Weekly? Monthly? How you answer this question can determine how much of a risk you are to the insurance company. You might not be labeled a smoker in their eyes, but you might still be considered a risk because, according to some insurers, marijuana use could possibly lead to long-term health effects. So if you occasionally smoke marijuana, you will have less to worry about, but if you smoke daily or weekly, life insurance companies might classify you as a greater risk, which means you will pay more.

Medical Exam Vs No Medical Exam

When applying for life insurance, you will have to undergo a medical exam, which will include a drug screening for marijuana and other drugs. If you plan on applying for life insurance, it would be in your best interest to not use marijuana for at least a month in order to lower your levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Insurers would prefer to see negative THC results, but the lower the levels, the more favorable the outcome for you.

If you want to avoid the medical exam altogether, your best bet is a no medical exam life insurance policy. These policies guarantee coverage regardless of any pre-existing condition or tobacco or marijuana use. Be aware, though, that some companies will require you to answer a health questionnaire; it is important that you don’t lie to the insurance company, which could lead to your family losing benefits in the event of your passing, and you losing your policy when the insurer finds out the truth.

Will Marijuana Use Affect Your Rates?

Marijuana use could affect your rates, depending on whether you are using it recreationally or medically. If you are using marijuana for medical reasons, and you put that on your application, your usage will be underwritten based on a medical condition. But if you use it recreationally, life insurance companies will have follow-up questions. Specifically, they will want to know how often you use marijuana, and will ask about such things as:

Your tobacco use– Are you also smoking tobacco while using marijuana? If so, you can expect higher rates.
Your mental state– If you have been diagnosed with or have a history of mental illness, insurance companies will take this into consideration.
Your driving record- If you have a bad driving record, life insurance companies will consider you a higher risk, and adding marijuana use into the mix makes you an even higher risk, since smoking and driving is considered a DUI.

Get The Best Rates

Whatever your opinions on marijuana use, life insurance is important to consider for your family when you are gone. Providing your loved ones with financial stability in the event of your passing will mean they won’t have to worry about money while grieving your loss. There are many different life insurance policies to choose from so you are sure to find the right one for you! The best way to find a life insurance company that will provide you with an affordable policy with great coverage, even if you use marijuana, is to shop around. To make the process easier consider using online tools, or speaking with an agent. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation that offer hassle free assistance and the most competitive rates below.

Don’t wait until you need life insurance to get it! Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and that you know the advantages of each company. Make sure that a hard time for your loved ones isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.

Can Non-US Citizens Get Life insurance?

Think you can’t get life insurance? Well, we’d like to remind you that there are policies out there that are accessible to almost everyone: life insurance companies have come a long way in opening the market to more people. But what if you are not a U.S. citizen? Can you get life insurance? The answer is yes! Find out just how non-U.S. citizens can get life insurance.

Requirements For Non-US Citizens To Get Life Insurance

While yes, non-US citizens can get life insurance, there are some restrictions. You will need to have a green card or visa, and most, if not all, life insurance companies will need you to provide information proving your connection to the US, including: blue bank card

U.S. bank account information
U.S. address
Property deeds
Proof of your global assets
Your medical records for the last 5 years
The name of an attorney who represents you, in some cases

Applying With A Green Card

If you are a green card holder, you are considered a permanent resident, so you won’t typically have any issues getting life insurance coverage. You will also be eligible for the best class rates, and will just need to send a photocopy of your green card to prove your immigration status.

Applying With A Visa

If you are living in the U.S. on a visa, you do have options, but you will have more issues trying to get a policy, because visas have limitations or conditions, depending on the type of visa. You will have to speak to each life insurance company to find out if you meet their specific conditions, but most will offer coverage based on either what is known as “substantial presence” or “significant interest”:

Substantial Presence: To have substantial presence in the U.S., you typically need to have lived here for at least one year. Some carriers require up to five years of significant presence in order to offer best-class rates.
Significant Interest: Significant interest requires the applicant to prove that they have resources invested in staying in the U.S.. Most of the time, this means owning property or having assets here.

So, if you have a work visa, you will qualify for coverage, but if you have a student visa, you will struggle to get a life insurance policy. In addition, if you have a work permit that only allows you to travel and work in the U.S. for a certain amount of time, you will also be unable to purchase a policy.

If you have one of the following visas, you can apply for life insurance:

H-1B visas: Given to those in a specialized field.
E-1 visas: For individuals or company employees coming from a country that are trade partners with the U.S., allowing these individuals to engage in trade efforts.
E-2 visas: Non-immigrant classifications for a treaty country (one that the U.S. trades with) that sometimes allow long-term stays.
K-1 visas: For those with a fiancé or fiancée in the U.S. who is already a citizen.
K-2 visas: Allows the children of a K-1 visa fiancé or fiancée to enter the U.S. and remain here.
V-1 visas: For a person who is the spouse of a lawful permanent resident of the U.S., such as a person who holds a green card.
V-2 visas: Allows families to remain together while their immigrant visas are being processed.

How Much Will a Policy Cost?

Life insurance rates are based on a number of factors, such as your age, health history, driving record, and your income. The best way to find out how much you can expect to pay for a life insurance policy based on your immigration status is to consider using online tools and working with a licensed knowledgeable agent in your area. We have provided the top life insurance companies in the nation below; each offers hassle-free assistance and the most competitive rates. Always check multiple sites to make sure you have bargaining power and know the advantages of each company. Make sure a hard time isn’t made harder by a financial burden, check life insurance rates today.