What is life insurance contract?

Life insurance can be defined as a contract between the holder of an insurance policy and an insurance company, in which the insurer undertakes to pay a sum of money in exchange for a premium, upon the death of an insured person or after a certain period of time.

Life insurance

is a contract between an insurer and the owner of a policy. A life insurance policy ensures that the insurer pays a sum of money to the designated beneficiaries when the insured dies in exchange for the premiums paid by the policyholder during his lifetime. An insurance policy is a legal contract between the insurance company (the insurer) and the person (s), company or insured entity (the insured).

Reading your policy helps you verify that the policy meets your needs and that you understand your responsibilities and those of the insurance company in the event of a loss. Many policyholders buy a policy without understanding what it covers, the exclusions that remove it, and the conditions that must be met for coverage to apply when a loss occurs. The SCDOI would like to remind consumers that reading and understanding your entire policy can help you avoid problems and disagreements with your insurance company in the event of a loss. Only if the insured dies within this period will the insurer have the legal right to challenge the claim based on a false statement and request additional information before deciding whether to pay or deny the claim.

All life insurance policies offer a death benefit in exchange for paying premiums to the insurance provider during the life of the policy. This means that almost anyone can get some type of life insurance policy if they try hard enough and are willing to pay a high enough price or to accept a death benefit that may be lower than ideal. All guarantees for full life insurance policies are subject to the timely payment of all required premiums and the ability of the issuing insurance company to pay claims. Mortgage life insurance secures a loan secured by real estate and generally includes a premium amount leveled at the nominal value of the declining policy because what is insured is the principal and outstanding interest on a mortgage, which mortgage payments are constantly reducing.

Pre-necessity life insurance policies are limited-premium policies, lifelong policies that are generally purchased by older applicants, although they are available to all. Term life insurance differs from permanent life insurance in several ways, but it tends to better meet the needs of most people. Most of the income that insurance companies receive consists of premiums, but income from investing in premiums is an important source of income for most life insurance companies. Almost all life insurance policies have optional features, called additional clauses, that can provide valuable additional benefits that adapt the policy to your needs.

Another fundamental difference is that the term life of premiums is generally much less expensive than permanent living because it does not involve generating cash value. If the insured person survives the original policy period, renewing coverage may be an option, but premiums may be higher. Because life insurance policies represent a significant expense and commitment, it's critical to act with due diligence to ensure that the company you choose has a strong track record and financial strength, since your heirs may not receive any death benefits for many decades in the future. If an additional clause is purchased, the policy generally pays twice the nominal amount if the insured dies as a result of an accident.

Group life insurance (also known as wholesale life insurance or institutional life insurance) is temporary insurance that covers a group of people, usually employees of a company, members of a union or association, or members of a pension or retirement fund. Before you apply for life insurance, you should analyze your financial situation and determine how much money would be needed to maintain the standard of living of your beneficiaries or meet the needs for which you are purchasing a policy. .