The Best Life Insurance for Children Cheaper Than You Think

Are you looking for the best life insurance for children? Well good for you!

I know a lot of people think this may sound CRAZY but I think it’s a great purchase! 

…and NOT because I’m a life insurance agent looking to expand my market. I can say that with complete confidence.

Life is not as simple and straightforward as all we would like. It’s got a direction of its own and sometimes it doesn’t fit in with the plans we lay. Sadly critical illness often strikes when we least expect it. 

So let’s say you give birth to a perfectly healthy, happy baby and life is good. The thing is, health concerns may be revealed as time moves forward.

This is one of the best reasons to consider life insurance for children and I’m going to show you why right now.

I think a lot of people see ads for life insurance for children and think it’s truly morbid. I get that completely and if I’m 100% candid I had some of those thoughts myself. After all, life insurance is a business and I would be insincere to say otherwise.

But there is always the yin with the yang.

Life insurance is a terrific safety net and this is no different for children. There are a number of great ways it can be used to help you and your family avoid sticky financial situations. So let’s take a deeper look into this right now.

If you lose a child, it’s likely going to impact your income. You don’t recover in days or even weeks. I’ve heard stories about parents that have lost children taking off 6 months – only to return part-time.

This is a very charged subject, but as far as I’m concerned, it needs to be addressed. Taking out life insurance for your children makes sense financially.

It’s really not a choice any of us wants to make. But having no insurance means you’re back at work before you’re ready.

The death benefit you receive replaces your income while you spend the kind of time you need to grieve and take care of your family.

As I mentioned above, one of the biggest perks of buying life insurance when you are young and healthy is the cost. Sadly more people than not come to me for coverage when they are worried about their health.

Yes, unfortunately this is true. 

An accident or a medical issue is diagnosed and they’re suddenly forced to think about the impermanence of their lives. 

As the veil of denial lifts people start to plan for their inevitable exit. Cue – a call to an independent life insurance agent.

The problem? Now their rates are sky-high – or worse yet they are not eligible for a traditionally underwritten policy which means guaranteed issue is their only option. IF they can afford it.  

At the end of the day life insurance companies want to make money. Which means the unhealthier you are the bigger risk the insurer takes on! This translates into expensive premiums. 

That’s why life insurance for children rocks. Protecting your little one has never been easier.

Some people like to make a gift of insurance for their children, paid up when they’re adults. This is probably a much better investment than buying a car.

For a situation like this, a Guaranteed 20 pay whole life policy is a good idea.

Basically, you make payments for 20 years and the insurance is paid up.

For example, if you take the policy out when your child is 2 years old, they will get the benefit by age 22. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to hand over the policy when your kid’s 22.

In fact, I’d strongly advise against it unless you want to see your son or daughter cash out the policy to buy a car or go traveling.

Nevertheless, over time there may be some decent growth in the cash value of the policy so for example when they are 35 years old. 

Universal life is another option – it’s a permanent policy but it’s less expensive because it typically does not have a cash value accumulation feature. 

I highly recommend making sure it has a guaranteed insurability rider and a conversion option (if you opt for a child rider on your policy). 

The reason being, your child will still be eligible to buy more life insurance for an affordable amount of money…

…without providing further evidence of insurability. 

So if you’re like our family and something comes up later in your child’s life they can still purchase comprehensive coverage inexpensively. 

This feature is truly worth its weight in gold. It may not seem important now – but down the road, it can offer invaluable options. 

You can choose between permanent and term life insurance for children. For most people, permanent insurance is the obvious choice. There’s a guaranteed payout – which means it gives your kid some cash at the end of the policy. 

This is terrific for those of you that would like to provide access to funds for college, a new home or just because. 

Permanent policies also have a cash value accumulation feature that can be borrowed against. This is useful if you need access to funds before the end of the policy term.

The thing is, permanent insurance is a lot more costly – especially when you’re an adult. However, for a child, a whole life policy can be VERY affordable.

Term is always an option when buying a life insurance policy for your child. Larger coverage amounts are available….

….BUT your child will likely outlive this protection.

This is the goal for anyone buying life insurance – but it’s not always optimal when it comes down to your financial needs.

I am happy to report that you can convert your term coverage into a permanent policy at any point! 

This means you don’t have to provide the life insurance company with proof of insurability when you exchange the term for permanent coverage. This is terrific news for those that have newly acquired medical issues.

At the very least, you can add a small rider to your adult policy. It’s called a children’s protection rider and provides a small amount of protection (up to $30,000), covers all current & future children and is very inexpensive (approximately $9 more per month extra).

It offers some future guaranteed insurability by allowing your children to convert to their own life insurance coverage when they become adults. Remember you have to select an eligible plan.

There are few things you can do for your family that are more important than financial planning. If you knew how many people I met that don’t even have a will you’d be shocked. 

What will happen to their children if they pass away? Where do the funds go? Ugh, and chances are they have no idea how much it will cost their estate for someone to figure all of this out in probate. A little planning can go a long way when it comes to taking care of those you love. 

Life insurance for children is just another aspect of this planning. No one can predict what the future holds but you can get ahead of things by thinking ahead. 

I wish I had known about life insurance for children BEFORE my son was diagnosed with ADHD. Then we could have purchased him a childhood policy and he would have access to affordable coverage for the rest of his life – and maybe some extra funds for college or university at the end of the term.