Life Insurance FAQ
These are the questions I hear most often from seniors and families — answered the way I'd answer them sitting across your kitchen table. No jargon, no pressure.
Often, yes. Simplified-issue policies ask just a few health questions, and guaranteed-issue policies ask none at all — approval is based on your age alone. The carrier makes the final decision on every application.
No. Most of the policies I work with require no medical exam — many give an instant decision right on the application.
Quite possibly. Being declined by one carrier doesn't mean every carrier will decline you — and guaranteed-issue coverage doesn't ask health questions at all. Tell me what happened and I'll tell you honestly what your options are.
It depends on your age, health, tobacco use, and how much coverage you want — most of my clients' policies run from a few dozen dollars a month. The only way to know your number is a real quote from the carrier, which I'll run for you at no charge.
Term life covers you for a set number of years at the lowest cost — it's what most families use for temporary needs: mortgage protection, paying off debts like credit cards, or replacing income while children are young. Whole life covers you for life with premiums that never increase — it's what final expense policies are built on.
Many of my no-exam applications are approved instantly or within a day or two. Fully underwritten policies with an exam can take several weeks.
It's life insurance designed around your mortgage — if you die, the benefit can pay off or pay down the home loan so your family keeps the house. One important difference: the mortgage protection policies banks sell typically name the bank as the beneficiary, so the payout goes to the lender, not your family — and the coverage usually shrinks as your mortgage balance drops. The term coverage I work with names your family as the beneficiary: they receive the full face amount and decide how to use it.
Yes — many of my senior clients are on fixed incomes. Final expense policies start at small face amounts with modest monthly premiums, and premiums are locked — they never go up because of age or health changes. We'll find a number that fits your budget before anything is submitted.
No — I'm an independent broker. I represent more than 40 A-rated carriers, so I shop the market for you instead of selling you one company's product.
Maryland, DC, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, California, South Carolina, and Florida. Don't see your state? Just ask — I add new state licenses regularly.
This page is for general information only and isn't financial advice. Coverage and pricing depend on the carrier's underwriting — talk to a licensed professional about your situation.
Book a free consultation with Landis Whitehurst — straight answers about your options, no pressure.