Is 30-Year Term Life Insurance Right for You?

If you’re planning on purchasing a term life plan but want decades of coverage and stable premiums, a 30-year term life insurance policy may be worth considering. These extended-duration policies provide the longest term life insurance coverage currently available and may provide protection during the years many families are likely to need it most.

What Is Term Life Insurance?

Term life insurance is defined as a policy that pays out a death benefit if the insured individual dies during the period of time specified in the contract. Because term life insurance has no cash component, its sole value is the death benefit, and the policy expires if the insured individual is still alive once the term is up. At the time of expiration, some insurance companies may let the policyholder renew the term or convert the policy to permanent coverage.

Term life policies are typically available in 5-year increments, with common durations of 10, 15 and 20 years. Plans from some carriers may be as short as a single year or as long as a 30-year term.

How Does a 30-Year Term Life Insurance Policy Work?

A 30-year term life plan provides 30 years of financial protection, so if the covered individual dies during the policy’s contractual effective dates, the designated beneficiaries receive the death benefit payout. If the covered individual outlives the policy’s term, the plan expires and no death benefit is paid out. However, in some cases, policyholders may be permitted to extend the contract or convert a percentage of its value into permanent insurance.

When purchasing a 30-year term life policy, you may choose coverage ranging from several hundred thousand dollars to upwards of a million dollars, depending on your financial profile, your budget and the risks assessed during the underwriting process. Premiums, which are impacted by age, gender, medical history and other personal risk factors, are determined at the time of purchase and typically don’t change over the course of the policy’s lifetime.

The Advantages of 30-Year Term Life Insurance

With a 30-year term life policy, you’re getting the longest coverage available under a term life plan. For potential policyholders, this may come with several advantages.

• Locked-in premiums. When you purchase a 30-year plan, you’re locking in your premiums and your payments won’t increase over the life of the policy. This can be particularly advantageous for younger policyholders, who are locking in rates while their premiums are lower due to age and reduced health risks.
• Peace of mind. A 30-year policy gives you protection for three decades. This can ensure financial security for your dependents during critical times, such as while children are growing up, investments are maturing or you’re establishing yourself financially.
• No shopping around. Because you’re securing protection for 30 years, you don’t have to worry about periodic renewals or shopping around for subsequent policies.  

The Disadvantages of 30-Year Term Life Insurance

The main disadvantage of 30-year term plans as opposed to lower-duration terms is cost. Because you're securing coverage for 30 years, your risk of dying increases significantly over the lifetime of the policy, meaning you’ll pay higher premiums than you would for a 20-year term policy or another plan of lesser duration.

For savvy investors who’ve saved money regularly and kept debt low, a 30-year term policy may be an unnecessary expense. The needs of these policyholders may be better suited by shorter-term plans, which come with substantially lower premiums.

Do You Get Your Money Back When Term Life Insurance Ends?

Term life insurance policies are designed to provide a financial safety net for your dependents and don’t have value beyond the death benefit. Consequently, most term life insurance is nonrefundable, so if you outlive your policy, your premiums aren’t returned.

Depending on your carrier, you may have an option to purchase a return-of-premium policy or to add a return-of-premium rider to a basic plan, both of which guarantee a refund of your premiums, minus administrative fees, if you outlive your policy. However, these options increase your premiums substantially, making them cost prohibitive for most policyholders.

Many term life insurance plans also offer a free look period, during which a policyholder may try out a policy risk-free and terminate it without penalties. Any premiums paid during this time are refunded when the policy is canceled.

Which Is Better: Term or Whole Life Insurance?

The main differences between term and whole life insurances are cost and duration. Term life insurance covers you for a predefined period of time, after which your coverage ends. Term policies typically come with lower premiums than whole insurance.

On the other hand, as long as you pay your premiums, a whole life policy covers you for your entire lifetime, so you'll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your dependents will receive a death benefit when you die. Whole life policies typically also include an investment component, which lets you accrue cash value that may be withdrawn or borrowed against as it accumulates. However, whole life insurance comes with a substantially higher price tag.

Ultimately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to what’s the best life insurance, and which type of policy will work best for you depends on your budget and your family’s financial needs. However, there are several things to consider when deciding whether term or whole life insurance is the better choice for you.

Term life policies may be better suited to individuals who:

• Want the least expensive coverage option
• Can’t afford permanent life insurance coverage
• Aren’t planning to use life insurance as a way to invest for retirement
• Need coverage for short-term needs such as paying off a mortgage or business loan or providing financial security for minor dependents

Whole life policies may be the better choice for individuals who:

• Want to leave an inheritance
• Can afford the higher premiums that come with permanent coverage
• Want to use their life insurance policy as an investment vehicle
• Have dependents that will require lifelong care, such as a chronically ill spouse or a child with a disability

For some consumers, a 30-year term life insurance policy may blend the best of both worlds, offering the lower premiums associated with term insurance  paired with long-term protection similar to whole life and other permanent policies.