01
Relying Only on Employer Coverage
Group life insurance through an employer is a valuable benefit, but it typically ends when you leave the job. Coverage amounts are usually limited to one or two times your salary, which may not reflect your family's actual needs. And because group plans don't follow you, a job change or layoff can leave a gap at exactly the wrong time.
Individual policies, by contrast, stay with you regardless of employment. Many people find that supplementing employer coverage with an individual policy creates a more stable foundation.
02
Buying Based on Price Alone
The lowest premium isn't always the right coverage. Two policies with the same monthly cost can differ significantly in term length, coverage amount, renewability, and conversion options. A 10-year term that's cheaper than a 20-year term may not provide coverage through the years when your family's financial obligations are highest.
Coverage amount and term length are the decisions that matter most. Price matters too, but it's most useful as a comparison among policies with the same structure, not as the starting filter.
03
Not Naming a Contingent Beneficiary
A primary beneficiary receives the life insurance proceeds if they're alive when the insured dies. A contingent beneficiary receives the benefit if the primary beneficiary has already died. Without a contingent beneficiary named, the benefit may need to go through probate, a court process that's slower, more public, and potentially more expensive than a direct beneficiary claim.
This is a simple designation on the policy paperwork, but it's often skipped or forgotten. See also: 5 Beneficiary Designation Mistakes to Avoid.
04
Waiting Until Health Changes
Life insurance underwriting is based on your health at the time of application. Rates for a healthy 32-year-old are significantly lower than rates for a 42-year-old with a new health condition. Waiting, even for a year or two, can result in higher premiums or, in some cases, difficulty qualifying at all.
This doesn't mean everyone needs to rush. It means that health and age are real factors in what coverage costs, and that earlier applications generally have more favorable terms.
05
Never Reviewing Coverage After Major Life Changes
A policy that was appropriate when you were 28 and single may not reflect your situation at 38 with a spouse, children, and a mortgage. Marriage, the birth of a child, buying a home, income growth, and approaching retirement are all events that change how much coverage makes sense and for how long.
Life insurance isn't a "set and forget" decision. Periodic reviews, even just checking in every few years, help ensure coverage still fits your life.