To explain it as simply as possible, term life insurance is a type of life insurance policy. It basically promises that you will make a set, fixed payment for a contracted amount of tie. This amount of time is known as the “term.” After this period of time though, your payments are liable to change and you will either have to simply meet the new payments or stop the policy.

It is purely a life insurance policy in that it will not pay out if you are injured or something similar. It will only pay out in the event of your death. Payout will be to your named beneficiary in most cases, unless there are reasonable legal grounds for a dispute.

There are, as with many all insurance policies, circumstances in which the policies will not pay out even in the event of the policy holder’s death. For example, if the premiums are not up to date or there has been some sort of breach of the policy terms. Almost invariably, term life insurance policies do not pay out in cases of suicide.

However, what they are useful for is situations where the policy holder fears that, in the case of his or her death, there would be no means of covering any expenses. Such expenses include debts held by the policy holder, mortgages, the care of any dependents the policy holder may have and, of course, funeral expenses.

Term life insurance will often work out less expensive than a permanent life insurance policy and can often be used as a “bridge,” for those who are worried about leaving those expenses for their families. For example, someone approaching retirement who believes that, once they retire, they will have amassed enough money to cover said expenses in the event of their death, may use term life insurance just until they reach that point.

Find out more about term life insurance.