Term Life: Do I Risk Denial, or Wait 5 Yrs to Apply?

[NCAgent]

There is nothing wrong with having your agent shop around. Until you sign an application you cannot have anything submitted. The downside to this is that you can't get a 100% firm rate without a signature, either.

I think your suffering from paralysis analysis. If you have thought of these things, more than likely your agent has, too. I know that if a client is worried about being rated up I talk to underwriters on the phone and get a tentative idea. I usually assume you have normal BP and Cholesterol unless you tell me otherwise. Then they say, assuming the labwork and paramed concur with my statement, a rating you could probably get.

I do this with 2-3 companies that I think will work for you. A lot of agents will be partial to 1-2 companies so you will probably get several different results. Also, a table 4 with one company could be different (maybe even better) rates than a table 2-3 with another company. I found that to be a problem with metlife vs prudential and some other companies for a t1 diabetic I was working with. So don't let the ratings bother you either because it is the overall dollar value that we care about.

 

[Momof4inPA]

I think your suffering from paralysis analysis. If you have thought of these things, more than likely your agent has, too.]

What a perfect description of my behavior "paralysis analysis"... Thats funny and very true! To clarify I've been doing this worrying solo, no agent yet. I somehow thought discussing these things with an agent/broker would be part of an application with possibly the wrong company. I didn't want to shoot myself in the foot.

I had a short term life policy and have my, auto/home - all with Erie but will change everything with the life. It's always been awkward working with my agent- could never have this discussion or he'd be a nervous wreck - documenting every word and giving me little info in return (all I'd hear is: Ah-hum, I see.. with raised eyebrows) I chalked it up to him being green and just nervous, but after 10 yrs he is still the same
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
An old discussion board, which I tried to link here, is what started my concern. I didn't have enough posts to link it here... but will type it out and you can hopefully find it if interested. . Use the regular beginning feature www dot

healthboards. com/boards/archive/index.phpt737919.html

This lady went from $300/year to $1,200 year from the mention of the word fibromyalgia on one of her charts. Does this sound about right?

I'll be more alert to ask my doctor if he is just "thinking out loud" or diagnosing something in my file.

 

[dgoldenz]

This lady went from $300/year to $1,200 year from the mention of the word fibromyalgia on one of her charts. Does this sound about right?

I'll be more alert to ask my doctor if he is just "thinking out loud" or diagnosing something in my file.

I can't read the thread, but the lady didn't go from $300/year to $1200/year. She probably saw a quote online for a risk class she couldn't qualify for in the first place.

 

[LGilmore]

To the poster. One of the advantages of doing an "informal" is it's just that informal, it doesn't go down in the MIB. Start there maybe with one of the agents who have helped you here. It will take a little while, especially with year end coming up, but I would put an informal review out there and see what comes back.

A big part of why you aren't moving is uncertainty. Reduce that uncertainty by moving forward with an informal underwriting.

Good luck.

 

[NCAgent]

I think many agents would agree that at the end of the year you have some good bets with finishing up your policy. Underwriting sometimes gets a little easier and some things slide on through.

But seriously, piss or get off the pot. You aren't an expert and are not an underwriter, as I have to constantly be told. You will never get everything figured out, that isn't your job. Your job is to tell everything truthfully to your agent and provide anything that he asks for, and to ask questions about the coverages that you want. That's it. Anything above that is going to complicate the issue and make things harder.

Go tell your agent "I want a quote for *this* coverage and I also want a face value for *this* premium each month." Those are going to be your min and max for the policy. Work from there and find a happy medium. Underwriters aren't dumb. Fibromyalgia is one of the hardest things to diagnose because it is a diagnosis of elimination rather than a culmination of symptoms. A doctor doesn't just go "yep, fibromyalgia, I feel it in mah bones." They are going to go through several steps first to see what else it can be. If you tell the agent the doctor mentioned it in passing and the doctor might have put it in the notes and never did anything about it, then the agent can make a note of it to the underwriter and THAT IS IT. The UW is going to look at the APS, paramed, and everything anyway. If they are nervous about the fibro then they will clarify somewhere about it.

Seriously, stop hesitating. Now is the best time of year to get the policy app done. Do you worry this much about if your car is going to work right when you buy a new one, or find the right price and features for your budget? You get a free-look period anyway if you arent happy then you can cancel the policy if worst comes to worst.