At What Age Should You Buy Life Insurance?

Life insurance is an essential financial safety net that provides financial support for your loved ones in case of your untimely death. While it is crucial to buy life insurance, the question of when to buy it arises.

The answer is simple: the younger you are, the better. Buying life insurance at a young age means lower premiums and a more extended coverage period. As you age, you may develop health problems that can make insurance more expensive or disqualify you from purchasing a plan.

However, many younger people tend to put off buying life insurance as they are faced with other financial responsibilities, such as student loans and mortgages. While paying off current debt is critical, missing out on buying life insurance at a young age has a significant economic impact, much like delaying saving for retirement. The sooner you purchase it, the better.

Here’s a table that shows sample monthly and total premium costs for a 20-year term life policy taken out by a healthy, non-smoking male at rising ages:

When considering your need for life insurance, remember that your timing will dictate the balance between paying lower premiums for more years as a younger policyholder or owing higher premiums if you start a policy later in life.

A term life insurance policy covers you for the term of the policy. While a younger age is generally better, when that term should start also may be based on when you anticipate other people depending on your income. For parents, this is often until their children are grown.

If you’re in a couple and own property together, you may want to be covered until your mortgage is paid off. If both people in a couple are earning income that is crucial to the family, then each should be covered. Parents who don’t earn income may also want to consider coverage, as their unpaid labor (childcare, etc.) might need to be replaced by paid services (such as daycare) in the event of their death.

Life insurance may be prudent even before you have dependents if you have unsecured debt or plan to establish an estate, give to charity, or repay debts and obligations upon your death.

Permanent life insurance plans offer the advantage of growing cash value tax-deferred. Premium contributions to whole life policies purchased at an early age can accumulate considerable value over the long term, as premiums are typically fixed for the entire life of the policy. The money needs time to grow, which is why an early start is best.

In conclusion, the younger and healthier you are, the lower the cost of a life insurance policy will be. If you’re thinking about starting a family, it’s often smart to buy life insurance at that time or even a few years before then to make it more affordable in the long run. If you have debts or dependents, or are even just thinking about them, it may be a good time to get term life insurance. Talk with an insurance agent or broker to help you decide what is best.