Unusual Factors Affecting Your Life Insurance

If you’re in the market for life insurance or are shopping around to see if you can find a provider with a lower rate than you are currently paying, then you’re probably aware of many of the standard factors that can affect what premiums you will end up paying. These can include your age, overall health and medical history. There are a few other things you should be aware of that can affect your rate, and demands careful consideration when deciding upon which policy you will choose.

Family Medical History

This may be something you know a bit about, but it is important for you to keep in mind when searching for coverage. Some companies will simply concern themselves with the health of your parents and siblings, while others might delve into the life and death of your grandparents to determine if any serious genetic factors exist that may affect your longevity.

Occupation

Not that you’re likely to change this based on what underwriters have to say on the matter, but let’s face it - some jobs are more dangerous than others for various reasons, and this is naturally going to be of particular interest to a company that promises to pay a hefty sum of cash in the event of your death. One possible way to mitigate the damage that this can have on your premium is to advance within the company. The owner working behind a desk will usually cost less to insure than the lumberjacks who work for him out in the forest.

Marital Status

One thing that statistics have shown, is that married people live longer than unmarried people. Again, this is something you’re not likely to run out and change just to be able to enjoy a lower rate (at least, that’s not the recommendation), but it is something that companies are probably going to eyeball when considering how much to charge you for premiums. Married men tend to live a fair amount longer than their unmarried counterparts, and just recently, women have started to fall into that category as well.

Gender

Call it payback for a lifetime of higher health-insurance premiums…women are usually more expensive than men, medically speaking, but they also typically live longer than men - ergo, their health insurance rates tend to be lower as well.

Recreation

Do you like skydiving? Bungee jumping? Off-roading? Competition shooting? All of these are activities that companies are likely to frown upon. Not that they’ll stop you from doing it - or refuse to insure you, but people with this type of lifestyle are at greater risk of needing to cash in a policy sooner rather than later - ergo, the price is going to be higher than those who prefer to spend their time at home reading a book or working on the computer.