You need a true picture of your financial health before you can figure out what type of life insurance you need and how much, Stafford says. 

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Assess Your Current Financial Situation

They tend to think only about how much would be needed to pay off their major debt, such as a mortgage.  . 

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Know How Much Coverage You Need

A term life policy will provide coverage for a certain period of time—typically 10, 15, 20 or 30 years. It can be an affordable way to get coverage 

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Choose a Life Insurance Policy Type

The two key factors life insurance companies consider when determining the rate you pay for coverage are health and age 

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Understand What Affects Your Life Insurance Rate

You also could work with an independent insurance agent who works with several insurance companies .

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Compare Life Insurance Companies for Best Rate

The rate you pay for life insurance is important because you want to ensure the premium fits in your budget 

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Don’t Just Focus on Premium

The quote you get from an insurer typically is just an estimate of what your premium will be. 

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Prepare to Answer Lots of Questions When Applying

Winslow says it’s very important to be truthful because insurance companies use third-party sources to validate the information you provide. 

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Be Truthful on the Application