What is Life Term Insurance? How does it work?

It is kind of insurance in which the the insured transfers a risk to the insurer, receiving a policy and paying a premium in exchange. The risk assumed by the insurer is the risk of death of the insured.

There are generally three parties in a life insurance transaction: the insurer, the insured or the owner of the policy (policyholder) and the beneficiary (person or persons who will receive the policy proceeds upon the death of the insured).

The life insurance policy is a legal contract specifying the terms and conditions of the risk assumed. It may be nullified in cases like if the insured commits suicide within a specified time for the policy date; any misrepresentation by the owner or insured on the application; if the insured dies within a period of say 2 years, the insurer can file a claim or request for additional information before deciding to to pay or not.

The most common reason to buy a life insurance policy is to protect the financial interests of the owner of the policy in the event of the insured's demise.The face amount of the policy is generally the amount paid when the policy matures i.e when the insured dies or reaches a specified age or retirement. Rates charged for life insurance depends on the various factors like age, any disease the insured has, etc.

The insurance company investigaties about the insured at the time of giving him a policy and deciding the rate of premium. This process is called underwriting. The insurer (i.e., life insurance Company) prices the policies with intent to recover claims to be paid and administrative costs, and to make a profit.

The insurance company receives the premiums from the policy owner and invests them to get interest, which again is used to invest, pay claims, and finance the insurance company's operations. Upon the death of the insured, the insurer will require acceptable proof of death e.g. death certificate, before paying the claim.

If the insured's death was suspicious and the policy amount warrants it, the insurer may investigate if there is evidence of its legal obligation to pay the claim. Proceeds from the policy may be paid in a lump sum or paid over time as regular recurring payments for either for the life of a specified person or a specified time period.