How do I buy life insurance?
Six steps, in order, all off this site: size it, compare the same kind, check the details, apply, finish the follow-ups, then review when life changes. Nothing is bought here.
Written by William Litner, FCAS. Last updated November 3, 2026. The family on this page is made up; their $420,000 Check result is worked in the open on How it works.
- Buying takes six steps, in order (size it, compare the same kind, check the details, apply, finish the follow-ups, then review when life changes), and nothing is bought on this site.
- Compare the same kind two or three ways, with the same amount and the same years: only matching quotes can be compared.
- In Washington, you get 10 days after an individual policy reaches you to return it for a full refund; a policy that replaces an old one gets 20 days.
The steps, in order
The order is the same with an agent, a broker, or a website. No step needs this site.
Size it first
Ask your job what coverage it gives. Work coverage is often one or two times your pay. Write that number down. Then run the Check on this site. It shows your kind and your size gap. That kind and size are what you take with you.
Compare the same kind
Price the same kind two or three ways. Same amount. Same years. Same kind. Only matching quotes can be compared. For life-long kinds, compare the promised column of each illustration. Ignore the assumed columns.
Check the details, and ask about extras
Ask what extras can be added to the policy, what each one costs, and what happens without it. If the kind is convertible term, ask about the switch: it has a hard deadline, and your health class carries over. Ask for the Buyer's Guide and the Policy Summary. Both are free. Ask for both before the first premium.
Apply, and answer fully
The application is your answers, signed by you. The insurer judges and prices from them. Read every answer before you sign. Sign only answers that are true and complete. A wrong answer on something that matters can let the insurer deny a claim. That is a material misstatement. In the first two years, the insurer can also cancel the policy over one.
Finish the follow-ups
Many policies include a short medical exam, often at your home. The insurer may also ask your doctors for records. Some policies skip this step. They usually cost more. Then the insurer decides and sends an offer. The offer states your health class and your real price. It can differ from the first quote. Nothing is final until you accept.
Pay, and use the free look
Pay the first premium, and the policy itself is the contract. Keep it where family can find it. In Washington, you get 10 days after an individual policy reaches you to return it for a full refund. A policy that replaces an old one gets 20 days. Many states give a similar window. Replacing an old policy? Keep the old one until the new one is in force. Canceling first can leave a gap no one can undo.
Questions to ask an agent
The list from the Check result, word for word. Copy it or print it, and take it with you.
☐ Ask your job what coverage it gives.
☐ How did you size my coverage?
☐ What kind fits my need, and why?
☐ What does it cost each month?
☐ What happens if I change jobs?
☐ Can I keep this if I leave work?
Write the answers down before you sign.
Review when life changes
Coverage is not set once. Families re-check when life changes. Two minutes brings the numbers current.
A child arrives
A new child changes the years your pay must last, and the school costs ahead. Both are lines of the size math.
A home changes
A new mortgage changes the mortgage line of the math. A mortgage paid off shrinks that line.
A job changes
Coverage from a job can end with the job. A new job can bring new work coverage, in a new amount.
Work coverage changes
The coverage you already have comes off the need. When that amount changes, the gap changes with it.
Marriage
Names go stale after a marriage. Check who is named on every policy and account.
Divorce
Names go stale after a divorce, too. A divorce paper does not change a work plan's form. Fix the form itself.
Run the Check again for the size. The names to re-check live on the Beneficiary Checkup.
Plain questions, plain answers
Common questions
Do I buy life insurance on this site?
No. Nothing is sold here. This page is general education about the buying steps. The buying happens off this site, with any licensed agent or insurer.
What do I take to an agent?
Your kind and your size from the Check. The agent card on your result holds both. Take the question list on this page too, and write the answers down before you sign.
Want your own kind and size?
Five plain questions. About 2 minutes. No email. No signup. Nothing is sold here.