You will be charged a higher premium for your life insurance policy if you smoke. For this reason, life insurance companies have devised a variety of methods to detect tobacco use among their applicants. They start by simply asking you on the life insurance application if you smoke.
But the application is not the only source available to evaluate your risk potential. You may be required to submit to a physical exam by an independent medical practitioner, and blood and urine tests are often mandatory, the results of which may indicate that you smoke. If you’re applying for a large amount of life insurance, some companies conduct in-depth investigations into your background and medical history, interviewing friends and family members. Most companies will obtain health data from the MIB Group, (formerly, the Medical Information Bureau) a source of centralized information on individuals who have applied for life insurance, to see if you ever indicated on a prior application that you smoked.
If you do smoke, you may be tempted to make false or incomplete statements on your application to ensure acceptance or lower premiums. Don’t be dishonest about your smoking habit. Since a life insurance policy is a legal contract, lying on your application for insurance could be considered fraud. If a company finds out later that you lied about your smoking, it may have a legal basis to terminate your life insurance coverage. Or, the company can refuse to pay a claim by your beneficiary if it can prove that you lied about your smoking at the time you bought your policy. Life insurance policies are subject to a contestability period of two years, during which time the company may cancel the contract if you made any false statements on your application. But if fraud is determined, the contestability period is indefinite.
If you have questions, contact the Experts at Henssler Financial:
- Experts Request Form
- Email: experts@henssler.com
- Phone: 770-429-9166
Disclosures: The following information is reprinted with permission from Forefield, a division of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. This article is meant to provide valuable background information on particular investments, NOT a recommendation to buy. The investments referenced within this article may currently be traded by Henssler Financial. All material presented is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and current, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The contents are intended for general information purposes only. Information provided should not be the sole basis in making any decisions and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified professional, such as a tax consultant, insurance adviser or attorney. Although this material is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with respect to the subject matter, it may not apply in all situations. Readers are urged to consult with their adviser concerning specific situations and questions. This is not to be construed as an offer to buy or sell any financial instruments. It is not our intention to state, indicate or imply in any manner that current or past results are indicative of future profitability or expectations. As with all investments, there are associated inherent risks. Please obtain and review all financial material carefully before investing. Henssler is not licensed to offer or sell insurance products, and this overview is not to be construed as an offer to purchase any insurance products.
