Life insurance can be categorized as either “whole life insurance” or “term life insurance”. Essentially, the difference is that whole life insurance is designed to provide coverage for the duration of policyholder’s life while term life insurance provides life for a specified period of the policyholder’s life.

In addition to providing coverage for a lifetime (or until the policyholder reaches 100), whole life insurance also builds up cash value over time. Coverage remains in effect for the policyholder as long as premiums continue to be paid.

For a whole life policy, the premium remains the same cost (in contrast to renewable policies where the price can change). The cash value of the policy is also guaranteed, therefore making it safer, but these policies require the whole of the premium to be paid in order to keep them active.

Given the steady, predictable payments and payout, whole life is an excellent option for most people thinking about the long term future. Besides being more or less permanent, it also enables you to build up cash value free of taxation. If you decide you don’t like your policy after all, there’s no worries. You can cancel it at any time, and get the value of the insurance in cash.

Whole life insurance policies can be a good investment vehicle. Supporters even argue the cash value should compete with other fixed income investments. A policyholder can end up with a higher cash value than the guaranteed amount (variable policies do not carry guaranteed cash values) if the market performs well or the interest credit rating of the insurer strengthens. Policyholder’s also have the right to borrow against the cash value of the whole life insurance policy enhancing one’s credit profile.

Whole-life insurance policies offer more security than term policies, due to fixed premiums and a guaranteed value. There is also the ability for you to earn dividends, added to your policy based on your insurance company’s market performance and profits. Whole-life policy interest rates are usually adjusted annually as opposed to monthly (as with term policies) and there are many policy options offered, allowing you to choose one that bests suits your needs.

You should not purchase whole life insurance if you cannot afford it or if there is a good chance that you may not be able to afford it in the future. It’s best, however, to purchase life insurance while you are still young. If term life insurance is all that you are able to afford, that’s better than no policy at all. The higher premiums found on whole life insurance are because they do cover you for the whole of your life; making it worth the higher costs if you are able to afford it. But whatever policy you choose, be sure that you can indeed afford it. Whole-life premiums will never change, and while this is good if you can afford it in the first place, if you cannot it can be very bad. Get life insurance, but get what you can afford. Any coverage is better than none at all.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/