Purchasing life insurance online is one of the easiest decisions you'll ever make when it comes to protecting your family's financial future. Not only can you get real-time quotes and handy tools to calculate how much coverage you need; you won't waste a minute of your valuable time meeting with an insurance agent.
The online life insurance marketplace is fast becoming the simple solution for affordable term coverage. Last year, more than one million people researched and purchased their life insurance online, saving time, money and sanity.
Convenience Trumps Calendars
Hop online anytime for a quote in about two to three minutes. Be careful though, there are literally thousands of choices available - an unwieldy abundance. Reputable online companies, such as IntelliQuote (www.intelliquote.com), have honed their offerings to a much more manageable number of well-known companies rated A, A+ or A++ by A.M. Best.
Letting an online service do your homework for you really pays off. "We developed a five-star customer placement rating system, much like those on Amazon.com and eBay, to help our customers make the best decisions, said Gary Lardy, president and CEO of IntelliQuote. "Customers make their purchases based on application ease, price, reputation and financial strength. A glance at our star rating tells a lot about the insurers we work with."
It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This
For a quick quote, simply provide some basic data: age, height, weight, tobacco use and your self-reported health class. Online tools help determine where you fall health-wise. Of course, not everything can be done from your laptop. You'll still need a simple medical exam before your rate is finalized and policy issued.
Processing and underwriting time is about the same as for a traditional brick-and-mortar applicant. However, the time from quote to policy is shorter overall, with no hard-sell, chit chat or waiting for return phone calls.
Concerned about medical information and privacy out on the web? Don't be. Online or off, insurance companies and online insurance marketplaces must adhere to the strict HIPAA Privacy Rule, ensuring your medical information remains private and highly restricted in use.
How Much is Enough?
Determining the correct coverage amount is not as simple as replacing your income. Different needs at different stages in your life affect the amount you need, and the length of term you'll want to purchase. "A majority of people are significantly underinsured or unaware of how much coverage they truly need," noted Lardy. Reevaluating your situation online is simple and easy with online tools like those found on IntelliQuote.com.
Depending on your age, if you have a mortgage, children, looming college tuition or a need for child care, financial experts recommend coverage for 10 to 20 times your annual income. The surprising news is, this kind of peace-of-mind may be more affordable than you think. And, don't forget, non-working spouses need coverage too. Especially when you take into account all the contributions made by that person.
Provide your age, height, weight, tobacco use and self-reported health class and get a quote in minutes from reputable companies like, an online insurance marketplace. For details, visit www.intelliquote.com.
Copyright © 2006, ARA Content
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