How to Apply for Life Insurance With a Risky Sport in [2024]
Many people enjoy a risky sport but don’t even realize their sport is high-risk. No adverse event usually causes them an
injury or even their demise. But their high-risk sport will throw up a red flag when the carrier underwrites their life insurance application.
Then, if the right life insurance company is applied, they can be issued preferred rates, and everyone is happy.
Your rates will depend on how dangerous your sport is and how active you are in this sport. Several considerations have been taken under advisement by insurers.
Table of Contents
Can I Buy Life Insurance For a Dangerous Sport?
Regardless of what sport you are active in or how dangerous it may be, you can still buy life insurance. Not all risky sports have the potential to increase your premiums. The most crucial ingredient in the chain of events is choosing the company that will be the most liberal for your specific sport.
We work with well over 40 top-rated life insurance companies, and we can quickly zero in on the ones that will offer the best rates for your sport.
How Can I Make Sure I’m Getting the Lowest Premiums?
The responsibility lies with your independent agent (broker). We use over 40 top-rated companies and shop in the market hard to ensure our applicants apply with the most competitive companies.
Once the application process is completed, we will carefully review the final rates. If we believe there is a possibility of getting a lower premium for our client, we apply to several other companies.
Once all projected rates come in, we choose the carrier that offers the lowest rates and then present them to our clients for their consideration.
When the smoke clears, our client will be guaranteed to receive the lowest premium possible. The complete process is straightforward and requires little to no work for the applicant.
How Do Underwriters Adjust My Rates With a Risky Sport?
#1. Health Classifications & Table Ratings:
The primary way to adjust your rates is with health classifications and possible table ratings for hazardous sports.
Your rates may be affected in several ways, such as the health classification you will be placed in after you apply. The specific health classification you receive can vary from one carrier to another, depending on their underwriting guidelines.
Here is a basic breakdown of the classifications:
- Preferred Plus
- Preferred
- Standard
- Standard Plus
If you use tobacco:
- Preferred Tobacco
- Standard Tobacco
#2. Flat Extra Fees for Risky Sports:
Flat Extra Fees are another way your rates can be adjusted, and sometimes, in addition, the health classifications also.
Flat extra fees are a prevalent way for carriers to adjust rates for applicants with hazardous sports. The flat extra fees are usually used for dangerous occupations, sports, and hobbies resulting in the insured’s death. This is accomplished using a flat dollar amount added to each $1,000.00 coverage.
Remember that flat extras can vary by carrier, and the flat extra dollar amount varies with the intensity of the applicant’s risk in the sport. To give you an idea of what these flat extra fees cost could range from $2.50, $5.00, or $7.50 per $1,000.00 of the face amount.
Here is an example of how a flat extra of $2.50 works:
If you applied for a $100,000 life insurance policy and had a hazardous sport such as rock climbing, you could receive a flat extra charge of $2.50 for every one thousand dollars in coverage.
Since you are requesting 100 thousand dollars of coverage, you would multiply 100 times the $2.50, giving you a flat extra fee of an additional $250.00 per year added to your base premium.
In many cases, (no flat extras) may be required.
Benefits of Using an Independent Insurance Agent
Independent agents such as ourselves are also known as brokers. Independent agents work with all the best companies in the nation and can use the right companies for any specific applicant.
Regardless of whether they have a high-risk health concern, a dangerous sport, or a hazardous hobby.
The other agents are called captive agents and work for one specific insurance company, such as State Farm or Country Financial. This means they can use only one company’s product, unlike an independent agent that can use them all.
The brokers use many life insurance companies that are very competitive with special high-risk situations. This makes them the most logical agent to use if you are looking for the lowest rates and the best policy for your needs.
What Is the Best Way to Apply for Life Insurance With Risky Sports
Traditionally, you have three ways to apply:
Paper Application –
The paper application has an average of twenty pages to complete. Paper applications are the most
time-consuming and require the most work.
We believe these applications are obsolete by today’s standards.
Online Application –
The application is completed on the applicant’s computer and internet connection.
It is much faster and easier than paper applications but can confuse people who are not very computer savvy.
Telephone application –
The telephone application is the easiest and quickest way to apply for life insurance. All you have to do is sit back and answer a few questions from one of the friendly people in the application department.
The telephone application only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
Can a Medical Pre-Screen Help Me Get Lower Rates?
A medical pre-screen is not just for any medical condition you might have. It also helps if you have a dangerous occupation or hazardous hobby also.
A pre-screen is just an optional 5-minute form to complete if you have anything in your medical history or lifestyle that can harm your rates.
A medical pre-screen provides your agent with valuable information to help him choose the right company for you to apply with.
He can also reasonably predict what will happen after submitting your application. Knowing more about what carrier to use will help you get the best rates.
Combining table rating increases and flat extras is possible simultaneously. A typical example of this would be an individual with medical issues and a dangerous job or sport.
Our Final Thoughts
If you believe you may be involved in a risky sport, contact us to help you. This is our business, and we have successfully
done this for over 30 years. We utilize the most competitive companies in the nation and know what company to use for the best results.
Please read some of our other blog posts and don’t forget to use our instant quoting system to see all your options.
All the best,
Jack Venturi
*For any questions you might have, our live chat system is at your disposal or call us at 815-390- 7545 and we will provide a quick answer.
If you believe that you may be participating in a risky sport and are considering applying for life insurance, contact us today and let us help you with no cost or obligation. You can also set up a specific time to get all your questions answered.
