Insurance

Life Insurance

Life insurance pays a death benefit when the insured person dies while covered. Its purpose is to address a financial need created by that death.

4 min

Insurance 101 • 07

Life insurance protects people from the financial impact of a death.

If the insured person dies while covered, the policy can pay a death benefit to the beneficiary under its terms.

The financial need comes first.

The amount of insurance should connect to what the death would change financially for other people.

A death benefit can help with

01Replacing income02Supporting dependants03Paying debts04Funeral expenses05Other financial obligations

Life insurance and personal wealth are different tools.

01

Savings and investments

Assets you already own.

02

Life insurance

A contract that can create a death benefit if the insured dies while covered.

The need can be larger than the cash currently saved.

SavingsExample $25,000
Lost future income needCould be much larger
Insurance benefitDepends on policy amount
Right amountDepends on household need

Not everyone needs the same amount of life insurance.

Someone with dependants and large financial obligations may have a different need from someone whose death would create little financial loss for others.

Estimate the need using

01Income others rely on02Debts03Dependants04Existing assets05Existing workplace or personal coverage

Remember this

Life insurance protects a financial need, not the value of a person’s life.

Start with who would be financially affected and what they would need.

Lesson complete

Reviewed 2026-08-18

Screen 1 / 1