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than the family pet.

While it is possible to buy life insurance directly from an insurance company, the right insurance agent can make the job easier. The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors has resources to connect people with reputable insurance professionals. When choosing an agent, independent agents, who represent many different insurance companies, are usually preferable to captive agents, who are employed by a single insurer and limited to the policies that company offers. Do not feel shy about asking a prospective agent whether he or she is captive or independent.

Buying life insurance forces people to confront their mortality, so most people put off looking for life insurance. This is a mistake. The older a person is when applying for life insurance, the more expensive the premiums are, and certain medical conditions can make it impossible to find life insurance at all.

Like all insurance, the time to buy is before it is needed, ideally when a person is young and healthy. Healthy trumps young for people under age 55. Before middle age, if you don't have a chronic condition and realistically-that is realistically-think you can be healthier within 10 years, buckle down, lose the spare tire, and apply when your BMI is under 25 to get lower premiums. Beyond age 55, take the plunge regardless of current health. Providing for loved ones is worth the discomfort of facing one's own mortality.

Learn more about this author, Janet Harriett.
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