Check out Jeremy’s latest podcast on life insurance basics by listening on “Apple Podcasts” or “Google Podcasts” or read below for 3 Things You Need To Know Before Buying Life Insurance.

#67 – “If I unexpectedly pass away, will my loved ones be taken care of?”

This question has likely crossed your mind at least once.

By having life insurance in place, you can reduce the financial distress on your loved ones during an already stressful time.

In this episode, Jeremy Keil speaks with Mike Smith, president, and owner of CPS Horizon Financial. Mike helps you determine the ideal life insurance policy for your family, with an insightful discussion on the length of policy, coverage, policy types, and how to find the right insurance agent.

Mike discusses:

3 Things You Need To Know Before Buying Life Insurance

1) Ask These Key Questions Before Buying Life Insurance

If you’re thinking about getting life insurance but are not sure where to begin, start by asking the following three questions:

If you are a single individual with zero debts and no dependents, you might not need life insurance.

But once you reach a stage in life when someone is dependent on you, such as a spouse or kids, you should consider getting life insurance.

You can think of life insurance as a replacement for your income when you’re no longer around to support your loved ones. Replacing income is incredibly important, whether you’re in your thirties or about to retire.

Although retirees don’t have a salary to replace, they might need to replace income from their pension or Social Security.

Discussing your life insurance needs with your financial advisor can help determine the answer to this question.

Next, you need to decide the required length of your insurance coverage, which depends on your financial needs.

For example, if you have a 2-year-old child, you might need coverage until he or she is old enough to move out of the house. In this situation, a 20-year term policy might be all you need.

Another key factor to consider is a mortgage. You might need a policy long enough to cover your mortgage payments.

If you’re worried about outliving your term life insurance, you can also get permanent insurance. (We’ll discuss the different types of life insurance later in this blog.)

There is something called a “financial needs analysis” that your financial advisor can help you with. It is a way to calculate your ideal coverage amount.

However, if you just want a quick estimate of your required coverage, use this rubric:

Coverage = One-time debts + (income to be replaced x number of years)

In the above formula, the one-time debts can include your mortgage, estimated college debt for kids, and other major debts you want to be paid off.

Then, you add the amount of income you want to replace multiplied by the number of years you want to replace it for.

Another quick estimate for your coverage is simply 12-15 times your current income.

2) Find the Right Insurance Agent

There are two types of insurance agents that you should know about — independent agents and captive agents.

A captive agent works for a particular insurance company and primarily sells policies offered by that company. Even if they represent other companies as well, they might offer those policies to you first where there are financial incentives for them.

An independent agent has the ability to look at a pool of several insurance companies and shop for the best policy for you. They are likely to have more options compared to a captive agent.

CPS Horizon Financial is a great resource where you or your financial advisor can search through a vast product mix, including insurances offered by several companies.

Or if you prefer to do things on your own, check out Money Magazine’s suggestions on best life insurance companies.

3) Understand the Different Types of Insurance

There are two basic types of insurances — term insurance and permanent insurance.

Term insurance is the cheapest type of life insurance. You can buy the policy for a specified time, such as 10 years, 20 years, or even 40 years with some companies. If it is a level term insurance, the premium remains the same for every year.

For permanent insurance, let’s take a look at the two most popular options — whole life and universal life.

Whole life is the most expensive type of insurance. It includes a pure cost of insurance, which increases every year. Remember, this is not the same as premiums, which are much higher than the pure cost.

The excess (difference between premiums and pure cost) goes into building up cash value, similar to a savings account which you can tap into down the line.

Universal life is a blend of term and whole life insurance. It offers more flexibility around premiums and a lower pure cost of insurance.

However, it’s important to monitor a universal life insurance policy regularly. The originally scheduled premium amount may not have kept up with the cost of insurance, or the decrease in interest rates over the past 40 years. Because of that, the scheduled premiums and the existing cash value may no longer be sufficient to keep the policy active!

To keep a better track of how your universal life policy is performing, ask for an in force illustration from your insurance company. It can help you project how your policy will perform based on different premiums. It’s good practice to take a look at your in force illustration at least once  every four years. You can also discuss it with your advisor.

Bonus Idea: Consider Adding Living Benefits

Living benefits are extra benefits that could be added to a life insurance policy. They allow the insured to access the death benefit of the life insurance while they’re alive if they need the money.

There are multiple types of living benefits. Some commonly used ones include Chronic Illness Riders, Critical Illness Riders, and Long-Term Care Riders.

As their names suggest, they allow you to access the death benefit in case of a long-term illness or disability, a major health condition, or when you need to pay for long-term care.

Although they may require increased premiums, they can be highly beneficial when you need to urgently access your death benefit while you’re still alive!

___________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading! Make sure to check out the resources below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or connect with our guest Mike Smith through the information provided below!

Resources:

Connect With Mike Smith:

Connect With Jeremy Keil:

About Our Guest:

Mike Smith is the current president and owner of CPS Horizon Financial. Before buying CPS Horizon, Mike was in personal production for eleven years, qualifying for MDRT 10 times and one Court of the Table. He is also active in professional associations such as NAIFA, the FPA, NAILBA, and SFSP. Mike often speaks at association events and writes articles for trade publications. Mike can assist you in case development, run permanent illustrations, and provide sales ideas, advanced marketing, training, and if desired, an in-depth coaching program.

===

Disclosures

Videos/Podcasts/Blogs (media) published prior to June 30, 2025, were recorded and approved while the advisor was affiliated with Thrivent Advisor Network. These media reflect the advisor’s views and interpretations at that time. The information and disclosures contained in those media were believed to be accurate and complete as of the date of recording, but may not reflect current market conditions or Alongside, LLC, policies.

All content is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment advice. Read below for current disclosures and potential conflicts of interest.

This media is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not consider the investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any consumer. Nothing in this program should be construed as investment, legal, or tax advice, nor as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or to adopt any investment strategy.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and any guest, current as of the date of recording, and may change without notice as market, political or economic conditions evolve. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past Performance is no guarantee of future results.

Legal & Tax Disclosure

Consumers should consult their own qualified attorney, CPA, or other professional advisor regarding their specific legal and tax situations.

Advisor Disclosures

Alongside, LLC, doing business as Keil Financial Partners, is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or expertise. Advisory services are delivered through the Alongside, LLC platform. Keil Financial Partners is independent, not owned or operated by Alongside, LLC.

Additional information about Alongside, LLC – including its services, fees and any material conflicts of interest – can be found at https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/333587 or by requesting Form ADV Part 2A.

The content of this media should not be reproduced or redistributed without the firm’s written consent. Any trademarks or service marks mentioned belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.

For important disclosures visit: https://keilfp.com/disclosures/

===