You keep hearing that term life insurance provides a magnanimous coverage at an incredibly low rate. However, that is true in certain cases only. You get low rate only if:
• If you are young and healthy and preferably less than thirty years
• If you are listed the healthy group or when your health condition is perfect
• When you have the correct body mass
• When you do not have the habit of smoking or using tobacco
• When your life style is moderate
• If you are in profession or your pastime that does not affect your health

Before providing a term insurance the carriers make sure about the insurability. They make sure that you do not die within the term period or the collect enough premiums before you are dead. That is the reason people who are young and health are readily given a term life insurance are very low insurance rates as the chance of them dying during the term period is very less or the insurance will collect enough money before they pay the benefits.

People who are health and young get insurance at a low rate. That is the reason people belonging to the Preferred Best category who are considered to be healthiest among the general population get low rates as the probability of these people dying within the term life insurance is quite less. Also these people will not have any adverse condition and also there is no family history of any medical condition. Also these people would be not under any medical condition. Only if they are smokers or if their occupation exposes them to bodily harm, they will be charged at a higher rate.

In fact, not one factor, but permutation and combination of a number of factors decide the term life insurance rates. One factor that has a very adverse effect on these rates is the use of tobacco. Nothing raises the term life insurance rates like tobacco use because use of tobacco invites many terminal diseases and so if you do not have one now, you may grow one sooner or later. Term life insurance carriers do not want to take the chance and so they generally charge at a 2.5 times higher rate. However, there are some life insurance carriers that look at the smokers a little more sympathetically than others do. Therefore, if you are a smoker, try to find those carriers who will take your case more objectively and provide affordable rate.

The insurance companies’ categories the smokers depending upon the tobacco intake. People who have lesser intake have more chance of getting reasonable insurance rates than the heavy users. Also there is insurance company that provides less insurance rates for smokers with good health condition. Also people who have quit smoking can be termed as non smokers and will be offered with a lower insurance rate. But the time duration a person must have quit smoking before being termed as non smokers is dependant on the insurance guidelines.

What happens if you say that you are a non-smoker, while you are actually one? Even if you are a moderate smoker, you will definitely be caught during the mandatory medical test. A test that measures cotinine, which is a byproduct of nicotine and remains in the blood for quite sometime will expose your nicotine intake. If you can somehow wriggle out of the test and die from some tobacco related disease within two years, claims may be denied or at least challenged.

I know it is not polite, but I have to say it bluntly. Do not lie. Try to give as much accurate information as you can, not only about your tobacco consumption, but also about everything else. Trying to hoodwink the insurer to save a few dollars is not really a good idea .It may result in claims being denied. If your family has to battle out a contested claim, they will not definitely like it a bit.

Before buying a insurance policy spend some time shopping to choose the right policy. If you’re are a smoker then this becomes more important. This is because each insurance policy has their own rules and regulation when it comes to providing an insurance policy for smokers. So if you are smoker then you have to pay higher insurance rates, but how much higher depend on the insurance and the policy that you choose. Therefore try analyzing the market and receive as many quotes as possible and compare and choose the one that best suits your needs.

For more educational writings by David L. on term life insurance rates , click to find out.