Expert articles answering the questions people search most about life insurance. Written by Dev Gaymes, licensed insurance advisor since 2012.
Last reviewed July 2026 by Dev Gaymes, Texas-licensed life insurance agent, NPN 16654074 · Editorial policy
Rates have more than doubled since 2021. Whether you should move depends on timing, and on whether you are still accumulating or already drawing income.
The same policy costs the same either way. What differs is how many companies see your file.
Usually accurate for the rate class they assume, which is often the best one. Real rates across seven classes.
An index fund keeps the dividends and the full upside. An index annuity trades both for a 0% floor.
Far less than people assume. Most conditions change the price, not the answer.
FIA commissions run 4-8% of premium, paid by the carrier. But the cap rate and surrender schedule are how it gets funded.
Caps reprice constantly, so the best rate today rarely holds. What to evaluate instead.
They hedge opposite risks. One protects against outliving your money, the other against dying too soon.
Premiums are filed with the state, so price is not the variable. What genuinely differs between term, whole life, IUL and final expense.
Under Texas law a platform setting outranks your will. What that means for phones, email, photos, crypto and the policies nobody can find.
The 2026 exemption is $15M per person and permanent. For most Dallas HNW families the tax problem is gone. The liquidity problem is not.
Accidental death pays only if the cause qualifies. Roughly 1 in 20 deaths would.
No employer plan and income underwriters verify from tax returns, not pay stubs. What actually changes.
Beneficiary forms override wills. In a second marriage that can disinherit your children or still pay an ex-spouse.
The SSI resource limit is $2,000. A death benefit paid directly can end the benefits paying for their care.
What impaired risk underwriting actually looks like, where each condition lands, and why carrier choice usually beats the rating.
Texas Family Code 9.301 voids an ex-spouse designation, but ERISA preempts it for employer plans. What is protected and what is not.
The DIME calculation worked through for a Dallas household, why both parents need coverage, and three factors specific to Texas.
Age-banded rates that rise vs a locked individual rate. The one situation where the workplace option clearly wins.
At $300k+ the issue is not affordability. It is the ceiling on what a carrier will issue. How income multiples work.
Ten minutes to eight weeks. Real timelines by path, what causes delays, and whether you're covered while you wait.
Often yes, with the right carrier, and by disclosing use honestly. How cotinine testing works and why carriers differ.
Guaranteed vs current premium, renewal cost, conversion rights, rider triggers - plus a side-by-side checklist.
By policy type - term, living benefits, IUL, whole life and final expense. Why the rankings disagree, with sources shown.
The fastest-growing question in personal finance, answered straight. What works, what's oversold, and who it's really for.
Most employer coverage is 1–2x salary and ends when you leave. How to spot the gap and close it with a portable policy.
Becoming your own banker with whole life, a no-hype look at what's true, what's oversold, and who it fits.
A step-by-step guide to filing a life insurance claim. The paperwork, the payout, and the mistakes to avoid.
7 factors that actually matter: financial strength, living benefits, pricing, complaint ratios, and more.
If anyone depends on your income, the answer is probably yes. A clear guide by life stage.
Access your death benefit, generally income-tax-free, while alive for terminal, chronic, or critical illness.
3 types of no-exam policies explained: accelerated underwriting, simplified issue, guaranteed issue.
Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression. Your options and strategies for getting approved.
Options for ages 50, 60, and 70+. Final expense, guaranteed issue, and no-exam policies.
Real rates by age, health, and policy type. Plus 7 ways to lower your premium.
The DIME formula, income multiplier, and exact steps to calculate your number.
Side-by-side comparison of costs, features, pros and cons for each type.
A simple guide to premiums, death benefits, underwriting, and how policies actually pay out.
What's included, what's excluded, and the exceptions most people don't know about.
When death benefits are and aren't taxed. Estate taxes, cash value, and living benefit tax rules.
Primary vs. contingent, per stirpes vs. per capita, and the mistakes to avoid.
Can you buy a policy on your parents? Yes. Here's how, why, and what it costs.