Guide
Term vs. permanent life insurance
What each kind is for, what it costs, and why most families start with term.
Term life provides death benefit protection during a specified period—10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years—at a locked-in premium. Once the term expires, coverage lapses or renews at a higher yearly rate. It's the most economical way to secure major protection during your family's most vulnerable years.
Permanent coverage (whole life, universal life, and related products) lasts your entire life and builds cash value inside. Monthly costs are substantially higher for the same death amount; early-year cash growth is slow. Use it for lifelong support needs: a dependent with ongoing disability, estate taxes, or passing a business to the next generation.
How to choose
Start with the need. If that need has a finish line—a loan that gets paid down, children who become independent—term coverage aligns perfectly with that timeline. If need doesn't end, permanent insurance or a convertible term might be the answer. Most carriers permit converting term to permanent without re-underwriting, within a window; the quote will show each carrier's rules.
What people in Burlingame often do
A typical approach: lock in a twenty or thirty-year level term to match your household's real liabilities, then reassess when circumstances shift. This keeps premiums affordable now, which matters most. Susman Insurance can explore permanent coverage if lifetime protection is what you need.