Exploring Dave Ramsey’s Perspective: Whole Life Insurance Versus Term Insurance

If you ever wondered about Dave Ramsey whole life vs term views, we will break it all down for you!

When it comes to whole life insurance, it falls under the category of permanent life insurance, meaning it provides coverage for your entire lifetime.

Here’s how it works: the company takes care of paying the premiums, so you don’t have to worry about making payments yourself.

On the other hand, term life insurance offers coverage for a specific period or a set number of years.

Unlike whole life insurance, term life does have an end date to its coverage. But don’t fret, there’s a lot more to discover about these two options, and we’ve got you covered with expert advice. Our article dives deeper into the comparison of whole life and term life insurance.

To learn more about which one might be the best fit for you, click here and get ready to make an informed decision for your future and your loved ones.

What Is The Difference Between Term Life and Whole Life

Should I Get Term Life Insurance Or Whole Life Insurance?

Well, Dave Ramsey hates whole life insurance!

Choosing between term life insurance and whole life insurance is one of the first major decisions you’ll have to make before applying for life insurance. There isn’t necessarily one right answer — a lot of it depends on your age, budget, and personal preference.

So what is the difference between term life and life insurance?

In fact, people that get life insurance later in life, such as those in their 50s, tend to opt for the more affordable term life insurance.

Regardless, the most important thing is that you get coverage. Without it, your family will inherit debts, mortgage bills, and your final expenses.

Aside from providing coverage for these things, a life insurance policy can also replace your income, and fund things like your children’s college tuitions.

You’ll need to make sure you are only working with the top insurance companies, such as Banner Life, Prudential, and VOYA.

You can review the ratings given to insurance companies by the A.M. Best rating agency. Furthermore, this will help you determine which companies are the most financially stable.

Term vs Whole Life Insurance Pros and Cons

Whole vs Term Insurance Which Is Better?

There are two major kinds of life insurance, whole life, and term life insurance what is the difference?

What Is Term Life Insurance?

• Term life insurance policy is the simplest to understand and gets the most cost-effective life insurance premiums. In general, terms have a time period of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years. Furthermore, policies expire once the term is up. This policy does not have any guaranteed cash value or cash value accumulation. These type of policies are also used for estate planning.

What Is Whole Life Insurance?

• A permanent insurance policy is significantly more complicated and will cost more than term. However, it provides added advantages. In fact, Whole life is very popular and is the most common type of permanent life insurance policies. In general, these generate cash value where policy loans could be available once it does accumulate. Other sorts of permanent life insurance policies are universal, variable, and burial or final expense. These are usually long term policies.

Difference Between Term and Whole Life Insurance

The Price Difference between a one million dollar term life insurance policy and a one million dollar whole life policy is substantial:

First, it’s always best to figure out how much life insurance is needed. Then figure out the difference by a comparison of term vs whole life insurance.

Best Term Life Insurance

When shopping for term life insurance you want to make sure you are getting the very best options. Above all, you want to make sure the carrier is highly rated, and has great customer service.

After all, if that unexpected day comes you don’t want your family fighting with an insurance company to pay out a death claim that is rightfully theirs.

In addition, you want to make sure you answer all the health questions honestly, pick and choose to take medical exams or not.

Overall, you want to make sure you get qualified before you use a life insurance calculator to make sure you make a decision based on accurate information.

Term Life Insurance Quotes

$1,000,000 10yr Term Life Policy

Age	Average monthly cost for a male	Average monthly cost for a female
30	$18	$15
35	$20	$16
40	$26	$24
45	$44	$37
50	$69	$57
55	$121	$90
60	$203	$135
65	$358	$224
70	$592	$368
75	$1,199	$770

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$1,000,000 15yr Term Life Policy

Age	Male monthly average cost	Female monthly average cost
30	$22	$18
35	$25	$20
40	$33	$32
45	$64	$49
50	$100	$73
55	$161	$109
60	$267	$178
65	$475	$307
70	$915	$559
75	$2,314	$1,411

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$1,000,000 20 yr Term Life Policy

Age	Male average monthly rate	Female average monthly rate
30	$30	$24
35	$33	$29
40	$49	$41
45	$84	$66
50	$129	$96
55	$216	$158
60	$380	$266
65	$735	$491
70	$1,550	$1,165
75	N/A	N/A

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$1,000,000 30 yr Term Life Policy

Age	Male average monthly rate	Female average monthly rate
30	$51	$39
35	$63	$51
40	$92	$73
45	$146	$113
50	$239	$179
55	$450	$321
60	N/A	N/A
65	N/A	N/A
70	N/A	N/A
75	N/A	N/A

Best Whole Life Insurance

When shopping for whole life insurance you need to really focus on what you really want out of it and what is your motivation.

Above all, whole life insurance is permanent so you need to have a long term look. Again, this is something you may have forever! In addition, there are so many things you can add to a whole life policy.

For instance, paid-up addition riders which you can accelerate cash value accumulation. Or, add a term rider to increase your coverage for an allotted time.

Some participating whole life carriers will pay you a dividend where the overall interest rate will be tied in. And don’t forget the terminal illness rider.

In fact, maybe you only need it for final expense and are looking at Mutual of Omaha? As long as you pay your premiums the policy will stay active unless of course there is cash value to pay for the policy.

Whole Life Insurance Quotes

Whole Life Female Rates

Age	Gender	$250,000 coverage amount	$500,000 coverage amount	$1 million coverage amount
20	Female	$146	$287	$545
30	Female	$205	$408	$801
40	Female	$296	$588	$1,161
50	Female	$462	$920	$1,826

Whole Life Male Rates

Age	Gender	$250,000 coverage amount	$500,000 coverage amount	$1 million coverage amount
20	Male	$169	$334	$639
30	Male	$238	$472	$920
40	Male	$355	$706	$1,372
50	Male	$543	$1,081	$2,117

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Decoding the Dilemma: Whole Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance, and Investments

Picking between Whole Life and Term Life insurance, along with the consideration of making investments, can feel like solving a riddle wrapped in a mystery.

Yet, it’s a decision that holds significant importance for everyone keen on achieving financial freedom.

At its core, the choice depends on understanding what exactly you’re opting for when you’re planning to buy life insurance.

Like financial experts Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman, my philosophy emphasizes the need to safeguard your family’s future in the most economically sound way.

This typically translates to opting for Term Life insurance, which often proves to be the most cost-effective route, and then wisely investing the money you save from this choice.

It’s like hitting two birds with one stone – you get to protect your loved ones and grow your wealth simultaneously.

Above all, if you do it this way you will have much more in retirement then say having an insurance company investing it for you.

However, when it comes to whole life there are some advantages. This will come down to what your objectives are.

If you are just buying life insurance to protect family, ids and a mortgage, then it’s not a good idea as a 20-year term would be best.

But if you have means and want to invest in your kids future then a 7-year pay, 10-year pay or a 20-year pay makes sense.

These are whole life policies that after an allotted time the interest earned in the cash account will pay for the policy and its compounding interest! Some even earn dividends.

Term vs whole life insurance, Suze Orman:

“Term Life is renting insurance for a specific number of years. A term life insurance policy provides a death benefit when the insured dies. Whole life premiums are higher than term life premiums for the same age, gender, and risk.”

Now whether you are buying term life or whole life, it’s important to know the financial strength rating on the carriers you are shopping too. A strong balance sheet and a flawless history of paying death claims is a must!!

Why Whole Life Insurance is a Bad Investment

Overall, whole life insurance is only a bad investment if it does not fit your goals. There are some experts in the industry that taunt the “Buy Term and Invest the difference”.

But what if you don’t want to partake in market volatility? Maybe, you just like saving money and getting a modest return.

If you have a focus on wanting to have life insurance with accelerated cash value growth then whole life insurance with paid-up additions via infinite banking concept then you will have the capital to either buy a business as you are the bank.

More importantly, you can use these policies for a tax free income that you can draw off of.

Exercise Caution with Highly Advertised Term and Whole Life Insurers

It’s worth noting that several insurance providers spend a hefty sum on advertising their services to potential customers. Yet, surprisingly, their rates often fall short of being competitive.

Sure, they’re in good financial shape, but they tend to put a heavier financial load on their customers. In fact, their charges can be 20-30% higher than the best rates you can find elsewhere in the industry.

Take for example a few such companies:

• New York Life
• State Farm
• Northwestern Mutual
• Primerica

If you have any of these companies, give me a call. I will put about 20-30% of your hard-earned money back in your pocket, In addition, get you a better product!

What Factors Will Determine My Rate

Before we get into the difference between term life insurance vs whole life, let’s go over some of the things that life insurance companies consider before assessing your level of risk.

• General Health — If you are overweight, have high blood pressure or have any serious medical conditions, like type 1 and type 2 diabetes, then your insurance company will likely decide that you’re a high risk applicant.
• Age — The younger you are, the lower your costs will be.
• Sex — Generally speaking, life insurance is more expensive for men.
• Occupation — If you have a high risk job, then your life insurance may cost more.

What Are My Choices?

Term life insurance is much more fundamental than whole life insurance.

However, term life insurance is also the cheapest type of life insurance you can get. With term life insurance, coverage is temporary. Usually, you’ll choose a term of 5, 10, 15, 20, or even 30 years.

Here are some common reasons that people get term life insurance:

• To save money — Probably the most common goal is to get insured for the lowest prices.
• A mortgage — Many people will get a term life policy for the duration of their mortgage so that if they were to pass away, their loved ones wouldn’t inherit the bills.
• Children — A term life policy is also frequently purchased by those with children. Buying a 20 year term policy, for example, gives people the peace of mind that if they were to die, their children would be covered financially through to adulthood.

On the other hand, whole life insurance has some added benefits that term life insurance does not offer. There are several types of life insurance plans that you can choose from, and most of them are quite flexible.

When you shop for term life:

• Select a term that coincides with the years you’ll be paying the invoices and need life insurance policy coverage in the event you die early.
• Buy a sum your family would need if you’re not there to provide for them. The payout could replace your income and help your household pay for services you perform today, for example, childcare.

Common reasons that people choose whole life insurance:

• Lifetime coverage — As the name suggests, a whole life insurance policy protects you for your entire life (up to age 100), so long as you continue to pay the monthly premiums. This prevents the messy situations that occur when people outlive their term life policy.
• A big-budget — Most would agree that whole life insurance provides superior coverage than term life insurance. Therefore, if money is not an issue, there’s no reason not to get whole life insurance.
• Cash builds up — With a whole life insurance plan, you accumulate cash value that you can invest. This money is tax-deferred! More of a personal finance type of policy.

Whole Life Simplicity

Although it’s more complicated than term life insurance, whole life is the most straightforward form of permanent life insurance. Here’s why:

• The premium remains the Exact Same for as long as you reside
• The death benefit is guaranteed
• The cash value account develops at a guaranteed rate

What Do The Experts Say 

Some of the top financial gurus in the industry look at term vs whole life and I agree with them. I am a big believer when it comes to holding on to your own money.

For me, term life insurance is the most cost-effective way to protect your family, especially when you’re just starting out with a family.

We are all aware of the ups and downs of life. When it comes down to whole life vs term, term wins every time.

Suze Orman has said,”The Only Type I Like- For The Purpose Of  Insuring Your Life-Is Term Insurance!”. 

I tend to agree with her. Being smart with the money you have today, getting rid of some of these bills;

• Mortgages
• Car Loans
• Credit Card Debt

And Put your money into retirement plans, you don’t need life insurance 30 years from now to protect your family when you eventually pass.

Dave Ramsey, another financial guru who is followed by millions of consumers, isn’t a fan of cash value life insurance. 

I agree with him. He hates cash value life insurance and does not recommend it at all. As far as life insurance, Dave Ramsey always will pick term life insurance vs whole life insurance.

Now I always try to steer clients to term life. But in some cases and investment strategy, or deferred taxes or income will make sense. 

Life Insurance Rates

Usually, buying life insurance costs between $40 and $150 per month, depending on the person and the carrier that is insuring them.

You can expect whole life insurance plans to be significantly more expensive than term life insurance plans, though they have the potential for substantial investment returns.

Before deciding what kind of policy you want, there are many things to consider.

• How long do you want to be covered for?
• What can you afford?
• Do you have children?
• Do you have a mortgage?
• How healthy are you?

So long as you make an informed decision, you can feel good about making the responsible choice to get life insurance.

It is always important to compare the different types of life insurance and find out which one works best for your goals.

Term or Whole Life Insurance

Term life and whole life are two popular variants of life insurance.

While the basic idea of supplying much-needed cash in the case of your passing is the same.

There are a few vast differences between the costs and advantages of each one. Here’s a rundown of the two kinds so that you can make the best choice for your family.

Term Life

• A Term life insurance Policy is the lower-cost Alternative
• Term life insurance is perhaps the easiest way to safeguard your loved ones in the event you die.

In brief, when you buy a term life insurance policy, the period of coverage is temporary (10, 20, and 30 years are most frequent). After the first term runs outside, policyholders have the option to renew, but at that point, the renewal rate can be prohibitively expensive.

Term life insurance policies do not collect any cash value. For this reason, term life insurance is considerably cheaper than a whole life insurance plan.

In most term life policies, the premium stays the same for the initial term. This is known as a level premium and also the death benefit stays the same. Additionally, there are other variations of term life policies.

For example, decreasing term insurance, under which premiums remain the same, but the death benefit falls each year.

This can be a wise way to protect from the heirs’ have to repay massive debts, such as a mortgage, and is often known as “credit life.”

In other words, since your mortgage balance declines annually, the need to insure against the debt also decreases.

Irrespective of what form it takes, term life insurance is a more cheap way of fulfilling a temporary insurance plan. For example, I have a term life policy that’s intended to replace my income for my family.

In 2 decades, if it expires, I’ll be 55, my children will (hopefully) be out of the home, and I’ll have comparatively few years of income that would need replacing.

Whole life May Provide lifelong protection but will be four times more costly

As the name suggests, whole life insurance is intended to protect you your whole life. Premiums are higher compared to life policies.

But not just to compensate for the higher mortality risk in your later years, but because entire life policies accumulate cash value over time.

Since whole life policies build cash value, there included in retirement planning, and one significant advantage is the ability to borrow against the policy.

The purest form of whole life insurance policy is known as traditional ordinary life or straight life. In case the insured is still alive in 100, this amount pays to the policyholder.

Additionally, There Are Many other varieties, including (just to name a few):

• Limited cover — Premiums paid for a specified period, such as for 20 years or until age 65. Premiums will be higher since you’re paying for a limited time.
• Single cover — Rather than paying monthly or annual premiums, just one lump premium paid at the policy’s inception.
• Adjustable life — Death premiums or benefit might be modified over time.

Whole life policies are suitable for permanent insurance need. As an instance, if you’d like to leave your heirs 500,000 if you pass away, a whole life policy can permit you to guarantee that will happen.

Whole life can also be useful as a savings vehicle which borrowing against if needed.

Which is right for you?

I prefer to maintain my premiums reduced and spend the majority of my extra cash.

The notion is that by the time my term life policy runs out, my retirement account and other investments will likely be constructed up to the point at which the death benefit is no longer necessary.

Additionally, my principal insurance objective is to protect my wife and children throughout my working years.

On the flip side, if you want insurance which does not perish, and the idea of establishing money equity is much more attractive to you than just “renting” a life insurance policy, whole life might be the best option for you.

Which is a better policy term or whole life?

Types Of Life Insurance

VIDEO

We Specialize In Term Life Insurance And Whole Life

When you are looking for the best option for life insurance you can’t just make an initial decision on your first quote.

That is a sure way of overpaying in some cases tens of thousands of dollars over decades.

There are 1,400 life insurance companies in the industry.

Here at PinnacleQuote Life Insurance Specialists, we have over 200 products out our disposal spread across dozens of the top carriers in the industry.

That puts “YOU” the customer in the driver seat to make a choice out of the best options that we present. In the end, you will know what it means when we say, Best Price, Best Carrier, GUARANTEED.

PinnacleQuote is a licensed national independent life insurance agent in all 50 states.

Ultimately, with 27 years of experience in the Investment/Life insurance industries, PinnacleQuote will provide you the best service to protect your family.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at PinnacleQuote (855) 380-3300.

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• Understanding Different Types Of Life Insurance: A Simple Guide
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• 2023 Guide To Single-Premium Whole Life
• 2023 Guide For Non-Guaranteed vs. Guaranteed Universal Life Insurance

Conclusion

Navigating the sea of life insurance choices can be tricky.

But remember, there’s no magic formula or universal answer because what works best for you hinges on your unique circumstances.

We’re here to make that journey easier for you. With just a few targeted questions, we can guide you through the different options, helping you identify the coverage that fits you like a glove.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any queries about our offerings or if you’d like a personalized quote from our knowledgeable team. We’re just one call or email away, ready to assist you on this important journey!

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