Purchasing police life insurance is a very simple process when utilizing the most applicable life insurance companies
Regardless of the fact that officers and other members of law enforcement sometimes have a hazardous occupation. The life insurance companies do their best to keep the rates as low as possible.
Anyway you look at it, high risk life insurance can be more expensive. This is why you have to apply with a company that feels the most comfortable insuring the lives of law enforcement officers. Preferred rates will have the lowest cost every time. The largest percentage of law enforcement personnel can actually qualify for Preferred rates when insured with the most applicable carriers. Our job is to make purchasing police life insurance simple and as cost effective as possible. Every life insurance company in the nation offers excellent life insurance for police officers so you have a great choice to choose from.
Purchasing life insurance for police officers is on the rise due to the rapidly increasing risks we are now witnessing
The way some of the liberal state and local governments are running in this nation is totally reckless and up for grabs. Giving orders to police officers to stand down and working to defund police departments is extremely hard to believe. But all you have to do is look at the mentality of the modern left and it really is no big surprise. The dangers a police officer has to take is incredible. Many law enforcement officers have turned in their resignations or retired if possible.
This has driven up the demand for life insurance and the volume of new applications submitted reflects this. The rates for police officer life insurance have remained stable because the life insurance companies know that police officers are one of the most important members of society. Without them, this country would turn into another Dodge City but without Marshall Matt Dillon.
The application process for police officer life insurance
The standard application process for police officer life insurance is very similar to other occupations that may or may not have more risk involved. You can compare a police officers occupation with an iron workers job for example. The police officers job may be hazardous, but knowing exactly what his or her duties are make all the difference. If the policeman works traffic control in a very safe town or city. The risk factor is very low and preferred rates can easily be offered.
If an officer works for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) working undercover rubbing elbows with the drug cartels can be a whole different story. Then the cost of police officer life insurance will reflect higher rates. The same goes for the iron worker. If he normally works on high rise building over 20 stories or normally on ground level, the rates will be reflected accordingly. When the smoke clears, the life insurance companies have to pay a little more attention to the details when processing an application for life insurance for police officers.
Hazardous work duties can affect life insurance for police officers
Only a small percentage of police personnel are involved with dangerous work such as S.W.A.T. or undercover narcotics detectives and should be classified as high risk applicant. Unfortunately, society has become more violent than ever before. A law enforcement officer has to put his or her life on the line each and every day. The Officer Down Memorial Page shows 150 law enforcement officers were killed in the United States in 2018 along with an alarming start for 2019.
Receiving the best police life insurance rates will depend on the carrier you choose
Choosing the right carrier to apply with is extremely important. All the companies have their niche markets and underwrite their applications differently. Purchasing life insurance is going to require a company that is not sensitive to the dangers of law enforcement. Using excellent A+ rated carriers such as the Banner Life insurance company, Protective Life, Transamerica, Lincoln Financial, American General and others will allow you to get the best rates. Applying for life insurance for law enforcement officers is normally no different that applying with any other occupation. Keep in mind that a number of concerns can have an effect on your rates as you read on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions we hear just about everyday concerning police life insurance. Most of the time when people have a job that is more hazardous than others. They can start assuming they are going to have a hard time purchasing coverage or they will have to pay more. Rest assured, if you are shopping for new coverage and your health is good. You will definitely have nothing to worry about.
You can relax because you have many good options to choose from with excellent preferred rates. We specialize in police life insurance, so we know from experience how to help you secure the best coverage at the lowest rates.
- Are there any carriers that could be considered police life insurance friendly?
- Do the carriers offer law enforcement discounts for life insurance?
- Can I apply for coverage without having to take a physical?
- Is purchasing life insurance for police officers difficult for undercover narcotics agents?
- I use alcoholic beverages after work to relax, can I still qualify for coverage?
- I am a “retired” law enforcement officer, does that help me get lower rates?
- Can I purchase police life insurance with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
- Do most policies have a suicide clause built into the policy contract?
- I am in the middle of a divorce, will that effect my rates?
Applying for life insurance for police officers with medical conditions?
Always keep in mind that any existing medical conditions can have a large impact on your rates regardless of what kind of policy or occupation you have. An individuals physical and mental well being is a life insurance companies first concern. Most policeman are in good physical condition due to their job requirements. Purchasing life insurance for police officers is usually a simple process with very low preferred rates as an end result.
If you do have any medical conditions. The insurance company you apply with will need to fully understand what your conditions are and can they be controlled with medication. You can submit our medical pre-screen form if you have any conditions you are concerned with. We will review it and consult with you about them with no cost or obligation.
How about tobacco use?
Tobacco use is the easiest way to increase your rates. Smoking can easily increase your rates over 300%. This is especially true if you smoke cigarettes. Some of the companies offer lower rates if you smoke cigars or a pipe. But that will also depend on how much you smoke. If you purchase police life insurance with a smokers rating. You can quit smoking and have your policy re-evaluated after one year. It is very possible you can receive non-smoker rates and decrease you premiums to the extremes. Purchasing life insurance for police officers will easier and much cheaper if you quit smoking. Not to mention you will live longer if you kick the habit.
Does height and weight make a difference?
Yes, height and weight can make or break your application for police life insurance. Also a situation of being overweight or obese can increase your rates or trigger a decline all together. If you purchase life insurance and your final rates have gone up because of a weight condition. You can do the same thing as having a tobacco rating. You can lose weight and then have your rates reconsidered again. If you have to chase a subject, not carrying any extra weight will make a considerable difference.
Are police life insurance policies more expensive if I am assigned to a SWAT team?
Yes, life insurance for police officers can be more expensive if you are a member of a specialized SWAT team. This is based on the simple fact that SWAT team members usually are exposed to more violent situations. The statistics show they are more likely to be killed on the job in comparison to a conventional patrol officer.
Recent studies are showing a rising increase in patrol officer killings which will probably one day be placed in the same high risk category of SWAT team personnel.
Finding the best rates is very simple with todays quoting technology
Finding the lowest rates is where the independent insurance agents who actually specialize in life insurance really excel. Independent agents usually have contracts with well over 40 companies. This enables the agents to match up an exact fit by using the most applicable carrier for the specific applicant. The modern quote engines give side by side comparisons within seconds. This will allow you to see how one life insurance company compares to another. The use of simple and quick telephone applications make the job simple for the agents and the applicants alike.
Tips when using our websites quoting system
There is no question about it, quote engines are the only way to compare all the many companies rates. Filling out the quoting form to activate the system is very easy and self explanatory. The rates you will see are not specifically for life insurance for police officers but they should be 100% accurate for your occupation. Only extra dangerous law enforcement job descriptions may possibly increase the rates. Pay special attention to the health class drop down menu. The health class default setting is set for Preferred Best rates to be generated. If you have any medical conditions or are a few pounds overweight, preferred best rates may not be within your reach. You may want to use Standard in the drop down menu to play it safe. If you apply, the health class you will be assigned, will be issued by the insurance company underwriter. We can can help you choose the most likely health class.
Police officer life insurance application questions
If you are considering a conventional fully underwritten application. You would start out with an application which we usually recommend doing over the telephone to save time. The quick and simple telephone applications take about 20 minutes are a joy compared to the original 20 page paper applications. After your application, you will have a Para-Med nurse visit you for a very quick mini physical. This can be avoided if you are in very good health and decide to go with a no medical exam life insurance policy. Finally medical records are requested from your doctor and then there will be a period of time for the insurer to do their underwriting. Here is some of the information they review.
- Your current health history
- The Para-med nurses report
- Your occupation if hazardous
- Dangerous sports if any
- A pharmacy check for prescription drugs
- Your driving record
- Possible foreign travel plans
- Physician statement ( medical records)
How long does an application take to process?
This is all standard procedure which take from start to finish between 3-6 weeks. If you decide to purchase a no medical exam policy, your underwriting time could be reduced to 24-48 hours. Just keep in mind that no medical exam life insurance costs more than fully underwritten policies. We find that most law enforcement agents choose the fully underwritten standard application process so they can take advantage of the best police life insurance rates.
You must use the correct insurers to receive the best police life insurance rates
Before you apply, you are going to want to make sure you are choosing the best company to apply with. Insurers who are in very good financial condition usually have the lowest rates. They can afford to charge less for their products and still show a strong profit margin each year. The most important step to finding the best life insurance for police officers is to use to the most applicable company. Every life insurance company will process their applications differently. For example, some top life insurance companies have a big concern with tobacco users. Other carriers are going to be more liberal with applicants that smoke. Just as one company will be more concerned about medical conditions than another.
The dangers a law enforcement officer faces have been steadily increasing according to FBI Statistics
In the last few years we have all seen steadily increasing assaults on police officers and other members of law enforcement all over the United States. The FBI has released some new statistics and the number of policemen assaulted or killed on the job is alarming to say the least. Law enforcement personnel have found having sufficient life insurance is more important than it ever has been before. Purchasing life insurance for police officers has now become a very important necessity.
Applying for life insurance for police officers will trigger additional questions that will assess the applicants job duties:
- Do you work high in crime areas? The more dangerous the area you work in can reflect a higher rate of risk to a police officers safety.
- What types of safety measure do you follow on the job?
- How often do you work in the field and out of the office?
- Do you have a specialty which is more dangerous such as narcotics, criminal investigations, and traffic control?
- Are you a police officer working in high crime rate districts?
*The answers to these questions will help determine your risk of being hurt or possibly being killed on the job. These are just standard questions related to your occupation.
How life insurance for police officers in the aviation division works
With this department division you are not only working with the dangers of the normal patrol officer. If you are assigned as a pilot in the Police Department Aviation Division, the duties of a pilot will also increase your risk of being killed from a plane or chopper crash. This could also have an impact on your rates depending on what type of an airplane or helicopter you are flying. Anytime a police pilot is trying to concentrate on locating a subject fleeing on foot or in a vehicle.
It is real easy to momentarily take you eyes off of tall buildings or telephone lines they are approaching. It only takes a split second to encounter a mid-air collision.
There are two main types of policies to consider
One of the two main types of life insurance plan designs to consider will be a temporary form of life insurance. These policies start and end with a specific date designated in the policy contract. The other type of policy will be permanent life insurance which lasts continuously as long as you pay your premiums. Depending on what your needs for life insurance are, one of these policy types should be a good choice for you. You can even have both types running simultaneously for a well designed life insurance portfolio. High quality police life insurance can be designed with either type of coverage. Here is a description of these plan designs:
1. Low Cost Term Life Insurance
Low cost term life insurance is by far the most common form of life insurance for police purchased in America. The number one concept concerning term is its a temporary form of coverage. You must carefully determine what term length to apply for. The last problem you want is having your policy expire when you still need it. The big reason for this is term plan designs have the lowest premiums and are very cost effective. When an individual looks for an individual plan design, term life insurance plan designs always offer the best rates. People can then secure the higher face amounts they desire at an affordable cost. Use our face amount calculator to help you calculate your most applicable death benefit required for your specific needs. You can also purchase term life insurance with no medical exam required.
2. Permanent Life Insurance
Universal life is permanent coverage for you to keep in mind. The UL policies are excellent plan designs that will last for the rest of your life. All of the universal life insurance plan designs cost more. This is simply because the companies know they will be paying out a death benefit one day. In many cases, people that own term insurance outlive the policy and this is very profitable for the companies. A great life insurance portfolio can have a term policy up front with the highest face amount. Then after that, a smaller universal life policy will continue after the term policy expires leaving no gaps in coverage.
Police officer life insurance quotes have been going down
Many occupations pose a high risk of being injured or even killed and a policemen’s job is no different. The insurance industry realizes that penalizing a police officer with higher rates due to his occupation would be an injustice. They would be penalizing the brave men and women that make our towns and cities safe to live in. The actual cost of coverage has been going down for more than ten years.
But sometimes working in more severe conditions can change that concept. This normally pertains to members of SWAT teams and undercover narcotics agents. Choosing the most applicable company can make a difference with this issue. Premiums across the country have been going down because of people are living longer than ever before.
How much coverage should you apply for?
How much coverage you will need (face amount) will depend on a number of important variables such as:
Your current age.
Younger policemen usually have more debt to contend with because they have younger families. This usually can mean young children that will have to be supported for quite a few years to come. Also, a young female spouse can be restricted as a stay at home mom and will not be able to run out and get a job if the income suddenly stops. The young police officer will usually have a mortgage that is recent where they will have a substantial nut to crack for quite a few years. We also can’t forget one or two car payments in the formula along with plans for college tuition.
Other existing coverage.
Many police officers today usually always have coverage through their departments that they are employed by. The face amount of these policies are usually much lower than what they really need to be properly covered. The face amounts are usually based on their annual income with the department. A young man usually does not have enough time on the job to make much rank. This will prohibit him from increasing his annual salary.
In many cases group life insurance may not be portable where you can take it with you if you leave the department. You can never totally depend on your employers life insurance especially if you leave or change departments. Having your own life insurance portfolio will be your only guaranteed way to make sure your dependents are properly covered.
Your financial budget.
Let’s definitely not forget your monthly budget. Regardless of what face amount you should actually have, how much you can actually afford will be one of the most deciding factors. You always want to make sure you can comfortably afford your monthly life insurance premium. The standard rule of thumb when purchasing life insurance is purchasing approximately ten times your salary. This is just an industry projection, but what you actually need can be higher or much lower. You can also add a dollar amount such as $100,000 of coverage for every child you have to your projected face amount. But as I said before, your personal budget will usually determine what your face amount will be.
Use our face amount calculator to help determine how much coverage you should apply for.
Use our face amount calculator to help you determine what death benefit you need. Sitting down and jotting down your current expenses and projected future expenses is also going to be something you need to do. Purchasing life insurance requires some planning and especially the help from an experienced independent insurance agent. Purchasing life insurance for police officers is a very simple process when using a good experienced agent to help you. You can purchase police officer life insurance policies that go by your actual age where some go by your “insurance age”. Your insurance age is simply your closest birthday.
Return of Premium life insurance is an option to consider
A return of premium policy is a term product which returns every penny you paid in if you survive the term period. For example, if you purchased a 20-year Term policy with a face amount of $500,000 and an annual premium of $1,500.00 per year. After the term period has its 20 year anniversary, you would receive all your premiums back. Naturally, you have to outlive the policy for this to happen. The statistics normally are in your favor so it becomes a smart way to go for purchasing coverage. These premiums are naturally higher to compensate for the return of premium rider. You will even get back the cost of the rider also.
Cincinnati Life Insurance Co.
When it comes to return of premium life, Cincinnati life has the very lowest rates. If you have any interest in receiving all your premiums back. You will need to compare the rates of Cincinnati Life before you begin applying for life insurance.
Each state guarantees that rates are strictly regulated by law.
Number 1, the insurance companies actuaries create the life insurance rates based on mortality statistics. Once these rates are developed, the company will publish their rates for the agents and consumers to consider. The insurance company underwriters work with these rates and apply them to life insurance applications. This works exactly the same for life insurance for police officers too.
Number 2, the rates have to be approved by each state’s Department of Insurance. After that, the rates will be strictly regulated by law. The agent and brokers have absolutely nothing to do with these rates except, to use them to run insurance quotes for people. Whoever you purchase your insurance from, the rates will always be the same for the exact same product. This means nobody can sell for less that one another. Shopping around on the internet for the exact same product is not necessary because the premiums will always be identical.
There are now over 100,000 policewomen in the United States.
Needless to say, female police officers need life insurance too. The policewomen have the advantage of getting lower rates due to their gender. This is normal with all insurance companies regardless what type of occupation they have. The statistics show women life longer than their male counterparts. They end up saving approximately 15% on the cost of their rates. They also go to the doctor much more often than men for checkups which helps their longevity.
The female police officers of today are trained to do the same duties that the men do. They work with municipal, county, state and even federal authorities such as the FBI and BATF. The days of them simply working the desk as a radio operator are over. This means they are subjected to all the various types of dangers that a male police officer would face each day. Quality coverage for female law enforcement officers is just as readily available for them as it is for the guys.
Where is the best place to apply for police officer life insurance?
The best source for purchasing your new coverage in my opinion would be from our agency. This is one of our specialty markets and I totally understand a law enforcement officers occupation. I used to be a part time police officer for over 15 years and I have a special interest in the field of law enforcement. Our agency has been helping law enforcement personnel get the best police life insurance rates for over 25 years. With our comprehensive list of companies, you will be guaranteed to receive the lowest premiums possible. Just like any other product or service you are planning on purchasing. You should not have to pay any more than you have to.
Do carriers offer discounts for life insurance products?
The life insurance companies do not offer specific discounts for life insurance. But they do everything they can to provide you with the lowest rates possible. This begins with placing you in the best possible health classification you could qualify for if at all possible. The insurers fully understand how valuable policemen are to the safety and security of our country.
When it comes to applying for life insurance for police officers, the carriers are out to help the people who work so hard to protect our lives every day. In reality, the civilian death rate is reduced because policemen doing their job every day. Can you even imagine what the death toll on Americas highways would be without the police patrolling them for speeders, reckless drivers and drunks? It’s unimaginable to say the least.
Our quoting system will allow you to review the best police life insurance quotes in less than a minute.
If you are ready to start comparing companies and plan designs, complete the form on the right side of this page. Our quote engine will display instant quotes from the most competitive life insurance companies. All of the quotes displayed are up to date and accurate. This will give you an idea of what your options are and there approximate cost. If you need coverage with a high face amount, our quoting system show rates as high as ten million dollars.
In Conclusion
You may call us toll free 7 days a week to get answers to all you questions. There is never any cost or obligation for our help. We can direct you to the best company with the lowest rates in a matter of minutes. If you are a police officer and you read this post, we hope this information has helped you. We also want to say, thank you very much for your service. Many times a law enforcement officers job can seem like a thankless one. But keep in mind there are millions of Americans that appreciate what you do everyday including myself! Take a moment to visit our new police life insurance website dedicated specifically for the law enforcement professionals. Please take care and stay safe out there!
All the best,
Jack Venturi
*We are always available to answer your questions without cost or obligation. Take a moment to set up a time to discuss all your options for police officer life insurance.
