Life insurance, often associated with married individuals or those with dependents, can also offer substantial benefits to single people. Although singles might not feel the immediate need for such a policy, there are several compelling reasons for them to consider buying it now.
Why Single People Should Consider Life Insurance
There's an assumption that life insurance is only for those who have dependents. However, there are many reasons why single people should consider purchasing a life insurance policy.
- Income Protection for Dependents: Being single doesn't necessarily mean you have no financial dependents. You may have elderly parents, siblings, or even pets relying on your income.
- Anticipation of Future Dependents: Even if you're single now, you might be planning to start a family in the future. By purchasing life insurance early, you can secure a lower premium and ensure that future dependents will have financial security.
- Debt Coverage: Life insurance can cover outstanding personal debts, like student loans, personal loans, or a mortgage. This coverage can ensure that these debts won't fall onto the shoulders of surviving family members.
- Funeral Expenses: Life insurance can also cover the cost of funeral and burial expenses, alleviating the financial stress for loved ones during an already challenging time.
- Legacy Planning: Life insurance allows single individuals to leave a financial legacy to a chosen beneficiary, be it a charity, a beloved niece or nephew, or another loved one.
- Business Obligations: If you're a single individual running a business, life insurance could cover business-related debts, protect the business's continuation, or facilitate a business succession plan.
- Tax Benefits: Some life insurance policies provide tax advantages, like tax-free death benefits and tax-deferred growth on cash value.
- Future Insurability: Purchasing life insurance when you're young and healthy secures your future insurability, irrespective of potential health changes later in life.
- Estate Liquidity: For single individuals with significant assets, life insurance can provide the liquidity needed to pay estate taxes and prevent the forced sale of assets.
Benefits of Buying Life Insurance Earlier in Life When You Are Single
Getting life insurance early can greatly benefit singles, offering affordable premiums and aiding in long-term financial planning:
Lower Premiums
One of the most appealing advantages of purchasing life insurance at a younger age is the potential for lower premiums. Insurance is all about risk assessment, and younger individuals, who are typically healthier, pose less risk to insurers. This lower risk is reflected in the more affordable premiums you can secure when you invest in life insurance early.
Enhanced Insurability
At a younger age, you're more likely to be in good health. Insurers will often require medical examinations or health declarations, and a clean bill of health can improve your insurability, securing more favorable terms on your policy.
Protection Against Future Health Changes
Life is unpredictable, and health conditions can develop unexpectedly. If you secure a life insurance policy when you're young and healthy, your coverage is typically unaffected by any subsequent health issues. This way, you safeguard your insurability regardless of what the future might hold.
More Time to Accumulate Cash Value
If you opt for a permanent life insurance policy, starting early gives your policy more time to accumulate cash value. This component of your policy serves as a form of savings that can be borrowed against or even withdrawn in some cases, adding another layer of financial security.
Possibility for Longer Term Coverage
By purchasing term life insurance when you're younger, you can lock in a longer term period, such as a 30-year term, securing your insurability and rate for a more extended period.
Buying life insurance when you're young and single isn't just about protecting potential future dependents. It's also about taking proactive steps to secure your financial future, protect against the unexpected, and lay the groundwork for sound financial planning.
Buying life insurance at a young age, even before starting a family, is a smart financial decision. It helps secure lower premiums and ensures that you can get coverage in the future.
Types of Life Insurance for Singles
There are two primary types of life insurance: Term and Permanent.
Term Life Insurance offers coverage for a set period, generally 10-30 years. It's straightforward, cheaper, and often the best choice for most single individuals.
Term life insurance provides coverage for a set term, usually 10 to 30 years. If the policyholder dies within this term, the insurer pays a death benefit to the beneficiaries. If the policyholder outlives the term, the coverage ceases without a payout. Its affordability and simplicity make term life a popular choice for single individuals.
Permanent life insurance, on the other hand, covers the policyholder's entire life span. It comes with a cash value component that can grow or earn interest over time. However, these policies are more complex and expensive compared to term policies. An example of a permanent life insurance policy is whole life insurance. Learn more about whole life versus term life.
Average Cost of Life Insurance for a Healthy Single Person
The average cost of a policy can vary significantly based on age, lifestyle, and overall health. Here's a rough estimate of what a healthy single individual might expect to pay for a $500,000 term life insurance policy on a 20-year term:
- 20s: A healthy single individual in their 20s could expect to pay between $20 and $30 per month for a $500,000 term life insurance policy on a 20-year term.
- 30s: Moving into their 30s, the cost could increase to a range of $25 to $40 per month.
- 40s and beyond: As the individual reaches their 40s, the price could further rise to between $50 and $70 per month, and potentially more depending on health and lifestyle factors.
For more detailed cost information, see our guide to the average cost of life insurance by age.
Life Insurance for Single Seniors
Life insurance remains important for single seniors, offering both financial assurance and personal tranquility. It can serve several valuable functions:
- Estate Planning: Life insurance can help seniors manage their estate by providing funds to cover taxes or other expenses, thus avoiding the rushed sale of assets.
- Funeral Expenses: Life insurance can ease the financial load on surviving family or friends by covering funeral and burial costs.
- Leaving a Legacy: Seniors can use life insurance to leave a financial legacy to loved ones or cherished charities.
- Financial Gift: Life insurance can serve as a significant financial gift for grandchildren or other family members.
Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance assures coverage regardless of health status or age, making it attractive for older individuals. However, these policies often have a waiting period before full death benefits are payable.
Final Expense Insurance specifically covers end-of-life expenses, primarily funeral and burial costs. These policies are easier to qualify for, and premiums usually don't increase with age, providing seniors peace of mind that their end-of-life expenses won't burden their loved ones.
For more information, see our guide to the best life insurance for seniors.
FAQs About Buying Life Insurance When Single
About Mark Fitzpatrick
sources
- LIMRA. "Insurance Barometer Study." Accessed June 3, 2023.
- Insurance Information Institute. "Facts + Statistics: Life insurance." Accessed June 3, 2023.
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). "Life Insurance Buyer’s Guide." Accessed June 3, 2023.