Should I Buy Term and Invest the Difference? 2023

There is a school of thought that when it comes to life insurance, people should "buy term and invest the difference". What does this mean and why should it matter when you are trying to secure your family's finances?

First off, the people who like to preach this method of buying life insurance have some sort of issue with purchase permanent life insurance. Whether it is whole life or universal life, they think that the cost too high. These people also think that the growth inside the policy, building cash value, is not as good as putting your money in the market. 

One of my pet peeves in the financial services industry is the large number of financial gurus who give generic blanket advice. These gurus, who are prevalent on TV, radio and other media, including books, seem to feel that everyone is in the same boat. As someone who has been working in the insurance industry for over 20 years, I can attest that financial situations are like fingerprints - no two are alike.

Another issue that many of the agents out there who like the "buy term and invest the difference" mantra are captive agents who work for companies that do not offer good permanent products. Even worse, these agents have been given bad information as to how some permanent life insurance products work by their managers. I have worked for a few of these companies and have heard it myself. 

As I have said in the past, all insurance products have a need somewhere, but not all insurance products are for everyone. This applies to term life as well. Term life insurance is great if you can quantify your specific need. An easy example of this is a loan that needs to be secured. If you have a 30 year mortgage on your home, a 30 year term policy fits the bill, because if you were to die your family could pay off the note. The lender will be happy to know this too.

For many families, there are more things going on than just a mortgage though. There may be other debt, like credit cards and car payments. A young family may want to consider education costs of their kids as well. After doing the math, a 20 year term policy may do the job while the debt is there and the kids are still living at home.

Let's assume that our young family did the math (with their trusted life insurance agent, of course) and realized they needed $300,000 worth of life insurance. A term life policy may cost them around $50 each month (these are estimates). But a permanent policy would cost around $150 each month. According to the gurus, they should purchase the term policy and put $100 into an investment each month. What kind of investment? Mutual funds, hopefully tax deferred, like an IRA. 

Here's the main problem with this strategy. They almost always will buy the term life policy (if the agent has effectively communicated the need) but they rarely do the investing part. "Check back with me in a few months," is the refrain when it comes to putting that extra $100 somewhere. It may be a budget issue or the client just isn't sure about the markets. Either way the plan is not complete.

People have varying degrees of risk tolerance, which is fine. As mentioned, no two situations are the same. Not everyone wants to be in the market and the ones that do can do so through online trading platforms nowadays. 

So what is a suitable alternative that will help a client efficiently and in their budget? Drop us a note or book a short phone appointment to discuss. In the meantime, please stay healthy.

Chris Castanes is the president of Surf Financial Brokers, helping people find affordable life, disability, long term care, cancer, accident and other insurance coverages in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia. He's also is a professional speaker helping sales people be more productive and efficient and has spoken to professional and civic organizations throughout the Southeast. And please subscribe to this blog!