Over the last few days, I compared life insurance websites for seniors in ages 60 through age 72 by Google searching life insurance and adding an age, “life insurance age 68” for example. It’s misleading for those in their 60’s and 70’s to see at the top of Google’s list websites with term life insurance given such prominence. Term is not usually the right product for seniors. The primary purposes of term are to replace lost income or settle an outstanding debt like a mortgage. Sure if you have less than 10 years to go on a mortgage, term life insurance might make sense. I would surmise term gets promoted and sold simple because it’s less expensive. But if one buys term in your 60’s or 70’s, chances are you will outlive your term, and then you’ve paid all that premium for nothing. Even if you take the best term out there, Genworth, and have the option to convert to a fixed rate universal life, you have to pay higher premiums as your age goes up.
For the majority of people in their 60’s and 70’s permanent life insurance is the most suitable coverage. If at all healthy, guaranteed universal life insurance is the best. Coverage starts at a $25,000 benefit amount, and premiums are affordable. North American has an excellent G-UL right now. There are also small whole life policies, called simplified issue because there is only a short questionnaire and no blood term. Coverage starts at a $2,000 a $3,000 benefit amount. Either choice is better than term because it’s fixed rate coverage for life.