What Affects Your Life Insurance Premiums?

It wasn’t easy, but you did it. You took the time to think about life insurance. You had meaningful conversations with your partner and family members. You looked at your finances. You started thinking about your future. Now you’re ready to chat with a licensed advisor and choose your policy. But how much will your insurance premium cost? And what exactly determines how much you’ll pay? It’s time to explore what affects your life insurance premium.

Key takeaways

• Your age plays a significant role in the cost of life insurance premiums. For that reason, it’s better to purchase life insurance early.

• Your sex, health, occupation, and even your hobbies all influence your premium costs.

• Your premium costs are a combination of these factors, plus the amount of coverage and length of coverage. More coverage usually means more cost.

• Term insurance typically has lower premiums than permanent life insurance.

• An accredited insurance broker can be a valuable resource in guiding you through the process of purchasing life insurance.

What is a life insurance premium and how do they work?

You’re not alone if you’re asking yourself, “what is a life insurance premium?” Simply put, a life insurance premium is a payment made to an insurance company. You make this payment to keep your life insurance policy active. For most people, it’s a recurring monthly payment, but in some cases, it might be paid annually.

In exchange for these payments, your insurance company issues a payment (called the “death benefit”) to your chosen beneficiaries after you pass away. A beneficiary can be anyone you might choose. For most people, it’s their spouse, their children, or perhaps another family member.

8 factors that affect life insurance premiums

Life insurance costs don’t follow a one-price-fits-all model. There are eight key factors affecting life insurance premiums. The following circumstances all play a role in determining your insurance costs.

1. Age

Age might be nothing but a number, but for insurance providers, your age is a big deal. In fact, it’s one of the most significant factors that influences the cost of your life insurance premiums. In most cases, the younger you are, the lower your premiums will be.

Generally, younger people tend to be healthier than their older counterparts. As you get older, the likelihood that you’ll develop health issues increases, which leads to higher premiums. It might feel strange to think about aging or even dying when you’re young, but from a financial point of view, it makes a lot of sense.

If you’re reading this and wistfully thinking, “I’m not as young as I used to be….” take heart. Insurance brokers work with clients of all ages to find policies that suit their budget, lifestyle, and age.

2. Sex/gender

The Public Health Agency of Canada has a report that everyone can be happy about. They share: “Canada remains one of the healthiest countries in the world. Life expectancy at birth for Canadians is 79.9 years for men and 84 years for women, well above international benchmarks.”

While Canadians are living longer, there is a life expectancy gap between men and women. And that gap has an impact on your life insurance premium. In simple terms, individuals assigned female at birth often have lower life insurance premiums. That’s because they’re statistically likely to live longer. Their longer life expectancy reduces the likelihood of paying death benefits in term policies or delaying the death benefits for those who have permanent insurance (which we’ll cover below).

3. Health

The word “health” encompasses a multitude of elements. Everything from your weight to alcohol consumption to blood pressure all contribute to the diverse mosaic that paints a picture of your overall health. In the context of applying for life insurance, your health status helps insurers assess your risk level. In general, Canadians who are in excellent health enjoy lower premiums than those with health concerns, including people with pre-existing conditions, like cancer, diabetes, or heart disease.

Can improving your health improve your future insurance rates? Absolutely. Working with your doctor to improve controllable health conditions can pay off in many ways.

4. Smoking or vaping

One of the most significant lifestyle factors contributing to your insurance premiums is your status as a smoker, vaper, or nicotine user.

The Canadian Cancer Society reports: “Tobacco use is the leading modifiable risk factor for disease and death in Canada and more than 45,000 Canadian deaths are due to smoking tobacco each year.” If these figures weren’t staggering enough, their report also highlights that 75 per cent of lung cancer deaths in Canada are due to smoking tobacco. Since smoking and vaping carry an extremely high health risk, smokers are more likely to file an insurance claim because of illnesses.

As a result, life insurance premiums are priced accordingly.

What exactly counts as smoking for the purpose of life insurance?

Having used any of the following in the past 12 months:

• Any form of Tobacco, other than one large cigar per month;

• Betel nut leaves, more than once per month

• E-cigarettes, vaping products, or water-pipe

• Nicotine products or smoking cessation products

What about if you’re a former smoker? Will that make a difference? Absolutely. Some insurers offer lower premiums to people who have been tobacco and nicotine-free for a specific period (usually a year). If you’re looking to quit, the Canadian Cancer Society offer a range of programs and support systems to help you become smoke-free.

5. Occupation

Every job has its ups and downs. However, for some Canadians, their occupation, working environment, or proximity to hazardous conditions might affect their life insurance premium.

Individuals working in commercial fishing, aviation, logging, forestry, mining, oil and gas, or with hazardous materials and certain chemicals may face higher premiums. Additionally, first responders, farmers, truck drivers, waste management workers, and those involved in electrical work are also likely subject to higher premiums.

As these careers carry an above-average risk of injury, it means you’ll probably pay higher insurance premiums. If you work in one of these fields, you’re not alone. A licensed insurance advisor can work with you to find a life insurance policy that meets your financial and family needs.

6. Hobbies

Canadians love exploring the great outdoors. However, you should be aware that some adventurous hobbies could impact your life insurance premiums.

Participating in any of the following high-risk hobbies may result in higher premiums:

• Skydiving

• Scuba diving

• Aircraft piloting

• Motorsport racing

• Backcountry skiing

• Snowboarding or snowmobiling

• Extreme height activities like skydiving, BASE jumping, bungee jumping, and rock climbing.

That’s because these hobbies are statistically more likely to lead to accidents, which increases the liability for insurance companies. Should you downplay your zest for adventure when talking with your licensed advisor? No. Failure to disclose high-risk activities may result in a future claim being denied.

Instead of giving up your adrenaline-filled hobby, work with a licensed advisor to determine which life insurance policy suits your lifestyle. Factors such as how often you engage in your hobby, your experience and training level, the equipment you use, and safety precautions could all impact your final policy cost.

7. Policy type and coverage amount

The kind of policy you choose and how much coverage you opt for directly affect your life insurance costs.

Life insurance comes in two formats: Term insurance and permanent insurance. Term insurance typically lasts for a specified term, such as 10 to 20 years. For that reason, it’s less expensive as any risk is limited to a set amount of time. Term insurance also offers greater flexibility. However, should you opt for additional coverage, you are likely to pay a higher premium for each subsequent term, as you are getting older and your health may have changed.

Permanent insurance provides lifelong coverage, and it remains in place even when you finish paying premiums. In general, permanent insurance policies are more expensive. That’s because the coverage remains in effect for the long term, regardless of changes in your health.

Whether you opt for term or permanent, the other factor that affects your life insurance premium is the amount of coverage you choose. More coverage equals higher costs. If you want $1M worth of life insurance, you’ll pay more than if you want $200,000 of coverage.

So which kind of policy should you choose? The answer isn’t necessarily about cost but considers your unique circumstances. A single person might opt for term insurance with affordable premiums. Another person with a growing family might take a different approach and opt for permanent insurance or for a term policy with a higher coverage amount to support their loved ones.

Whatever you choose, a licensed advisor can help you decide which policy type best aligns with your long-term financial goals and present-day budget.

8. Riders and add-ons

If you hear the word “rider” and immediately think of cycling, you’re not alone! In insurance terms, a rider, or add-on, is an optional addition to your existing policy. Riders allow you to customize your policy to meet your concerns and circumstances.

Popular coverage options include riders for critical illness, long-term care services, accidental and death benefits. Each rider adds an additional layer protection to your policy; however, it also adds an additional cost. Understanding what your options are and which riders may be are right for you can help you decide if it’s worth adding to your policy.

How much does life insurance cost in Canada?

Insurance is not a one-size-fits-all product. Your cost will depend in part on whether you choose term or permanent insurance, the amount of coverage you want, your age, health, and lifestyle factors. With that in mind, costs could be as low as $25 a month or as high as several hundred dollars. Talking to an insurance broker will help you find the best options for your budget and your circumstances.

Take the next step

Life insurance premiums are influenced by a wide range of factors, from statistical models related to age and sex to lifestyle factors like smoking, hobbies, and your occupation.

It’s a lot to absorb. An accredited insurance broker understands this and is there to help answer any questions you have. However, taking the time to understand your options and the factors that influence premium costs can also be empowering. You’re putting in the effort to protect your future and your family – and that provides tremendous peace of mind.

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