What is term life insurance?

an illustration of a mother and daughter building a doll how and a baby sitting with a stuffed animal to indicate how important term life insurance is to protect your family

If you’ve ever asked yourself ”what does a term life insurance policy entail?”, “what’s the difference between term vs whole life insurance?” or “how much does life insurance cost?” you’re not alone. Life insurance jargon can be confusing and may leave you scratching your head. But fret not! Wyshbox is your go-to guide on all things coverage.

an illustration of a mother and daughter building a doll how and a baby sitting with a stuffed animal to indicate how important term life insurance is to protect your family
First things first

What is life insurance?

Life insurance is basically a contract between you and a life insurance company. You choose how much coverage you need and, if you were to die, your family (called “beneficiaries” in life insurance terms), are paid a death benefit to cover expenses.

Term life insurance covers a policyholder for a set number of years. Insurers can have strict guidelines on how long a term policy is active for (usually, 5, 10, 20, or 30 years).

an illustration of a family with a kid sitting on his dads shoulders

Wyshbox offers term lengths that you can tailor according to what you need. Whether it's 2 years, 16 years, or 27 years, the choice is yours.

Different types of coverage

What’s the difference between term vs whole life insurance?

While there are different types of life insurance, customers typically shop for either whole or term policies. Whole life insurance is permanent life-long coverage that comes with a cash value you can borrow money against.

With that said, whole policies tend to have high premiums. Any money borrowed against it has to be paid back in full to avoid a decreased death benefit. Also, if the account is closed before you die, there may be tax repercussions.

We are partial to term life insurance because it’s the simplest way to get financial freedom and protection for your family.

Bottom line: Term life insurance can be the best, more cost-effective option.

Bottom line: Term life insurance can be the best, more cost-effective option.
Benefits of term life insurance:

Set coverage

You only pay for the protection you need, so you don’t accrue unnecessary costs.

Tailored term length

You decide how long you want to have an active policy.

Lower monthly premium

The younger you are, the less expensive your premium may be.

an illustration of a tablet and a phone showing that after completing underwriting you were approved for a term life insurance policy
Why we ask all those questions

What is underwriting?

Underwriting is the process in which an insurer reviews an applicant's background to determine their eligibility.

Traditionally, underwriting made applying (and getting approved) for life insurance a lengthy process. An underwriter could take days to determine an applicant's eligibility due to the amount of paperwork needed to do a background check. The applicant could be asked to get a medical exam and submit the results to the insurance company.

Technology has allowed insurers (like us here at Wyshbox) to quickly do digital background checks without having an applicant go to the doctor. In some cases, they may have to take a closer look at an application through a manual review, which usually takes a couple days.

an illustration of a tablet and a phone showing that after completing underwriting you were approved for a term life insurance policy
Understanding coverage costs

How much does life insurance cost?

The cost of life insurance depends on a few factors. The underwriting team will review your:

  • Age
  • Sex assigned at birth
  • Health status
  • Background check
  • General risk factors

Once that information is submitted and an application is approved, a customer can decide how much coverage they need and how long their term length will be. This will usually determine the monthly premium cost of a policy.

a chart that shows how life insurance costs increase if you apply at an older age which is why it is important to apply when you are young.
a chart that shows how life insurance costs increase if you apply at an older age which is why it is important to apply when you are young.
The younger and healthier you are, the less expensive your monthly cost can be.

The younger and healthier you are, the less expensive your monthly cost can be.

Wyshbox Life Insurance

Get instant term life insurance, a personalized policy, and amazing customer service and support. You can achieve peace of mind knowing that if the worst were to happen, your family is covered and protected. We can’t think of a better time to sign up than right now!

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