Unlike term insurance, which addresses more temporary needs, permanent life insurance is designed to provide life-long financial protection. Because permanent life insurance policies are designed and priced to last over a long period of time, this may be the right type of insurance for you if you have a long-term need for life insurance coverage. “Permanent insurance” is generally a catchall phrase for a wide variety of life insurance products, many of which include a cash-value feature. Within this class of life insurance, there are many different products, including universal life insurance, indexed universal life insurance, and whole life insurance.

Despite what many people may think, the need for life insurance often remains long after the kids have graduated college or the mortgage has been paid off. If you died, your spouse would still be faced with daily living expenses. And if your spouse outlives you by ten, 20 or even 30 years, would your spouse be able to maintain the lifestyle you worked so hard to achieve without the death benefit of life insurance? Would you be able to pass an inheritance on to your children or grandchildren? These are questions to consider carefully when determining what type of life insurance fits your needs.