Guides & resources
Plain-English guides for families
No jargon, no pressure — just honest answers to the questions families actually ask about protecting the people they love.
American Amicable Senior Choice Review (2026): Immediate, Graded and Return-of-Premium Plans
An independent agent's review of American Amicable's Senior Choice final expense: ages 50–85, up to $50,000, how the Immediate, Graded and Return-of-Premium plans work, and which health histories land where.
Read the guide →Aetna Accendo Final Expense Review (2026): Level vs. Modified, and Who Qualifies
An independent agent's review of Aetna's final expense whole life, issued by Accendo: ages 40–89, up to $50,000, the Level and Modified plans, the Medicare Supplement rate break, and how its prescription rules work.
Read the guide →AARP Life Insurance Review: The New York Life Program, Explained
An honest guide to AARP-branded life insurance from New York Life: Level Benefit Term, Permanent Life and Guaranteed Acceptance. Covers the membership requirement, five-year age-band pricing, the age-80 cutoff, and who it fits.
Read the guide →Buy-Sell Agreement Life Insurance: Cross-Purchase vs. Entity Redemption After Connelly
How life insurance funds a buy-sell agreement: cross-purchase, entity redemption and one-way plans, valuation clauses, and what the Connelly ruling changed.
Read the guide →Burial Insurance With No Waiting Period: Who Qualifies for Day-One Coverage
Want burial or final expense insurance that pays in full from day one? How level (no waiting period) coverage works, who qualifies, why some plans have a 2–3 year wait, and how to find the right one.
Read the guide →The Business Owner's Protection Plan: 10 Things Successful Owners Put in Place
Ten foundations successful owners put in place: separate finances, cash reserves, the right insurance, buy-sell and key person coverage, and estate plans.
Read the guide →Colonial Penn Life Insurance Review: How the $9.95 Plan Really Works
An honest look at Colonial Penn's guaranteed acceptance whole life: how units work, what the advertised $9.95 a month does and doesn't buy, the two-year limited benefit, and who it fits best. Compare before you buy.
Read the guide →Americo Eagle Select Review (2026): Eagle Select 1, 2 and 3 Explained
An independent agent's review of Americo's Eagle Select final expense: ages 40–85, up to $40,000, the level vs. graded versions, the Quit Smoking Advantage, and who it fits best.
Read the guide →Denied Life Insurance? What to Do Next (and Why It Happened)
A decline from one insurance company isn't a decline from all of them. Why life insurance applications get denied, how to see what they saw, and the realistic paths to coverage after a no.
Read the guide →Corebridge SimpliNow Legacy Review (2026): Level vs. Graded Final Expense
An independent agent's review of Corebridge (formerly AIG) SimpliNow Legacy final expense: ages 50–80, Legacy Max level vs. graded coverage, decisions in minutes, and which health conditions qualify for each.
Read the guide →Gerber Life Guaranteed Life Insurance Review: Who It Fits (and When to Compare)
An honest review of Gerber Life's Guaranteed Life Insurance for ages 50–80: coverage from $5,000 to $25,000, the two-year graded benefit (110% of premiums), who it fits, and when day-one coverage may be a better fit.
Read the guide →How Much Does a Funeral Cost in 2026? Burial, Cremation, and What Families Miss
The national median funeral with viewing and burial is about $8,300 before cemetery costs; with cremation, about $6,280. What's included, what isn't, your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule, and how families pay.
Read the guide →Globe Life Insurance Review: What the "$1 First Month" Offer Buys
An honest look at Globe Life's direct-to-consumer life insurance: how the $1 first-month offer works, coverage amounts, how term premiums rise in five-year age bands, when coverage ends, and who it fits.
Read the guide →How to Get Life Insurance Today: Same-Day and Instant-Decision Options
Need coverage fast? How instant-decision, no-exam life insurance works, what insurers check in minutes, when coverage actually starts, and what slows it down.
Read the guide →How to Insure Your Business: The Protection Checklist for Owners
The main business coverages to discuss with a commercial agent, from liability to cyber, plus the people risks that life insurance covers.
Read the guide →How to Free Up $100 a Month for the Things That Matter (Including Protecting Your Family)
Practical ways for working families to free up $100 a month: a subscription audit, bill reviews, a debt payoff plan, automatic savings and an emergency fund.
Read the guide →12 Ways to Save Money on Life Insurance
Twelve honest ways to pay less for life insurance without giving up protection: buy younger, quit tobacco, right-size coverage, compare carriers and more.
Read the guide →Life Insurance After Retirement: Why Many Retirees Keep or Buy Coverage
Why many retirees keep or buy life insurance: final expenses, a spouse's income after a check stops, debts and legacy. Plus the coverage types that fit.
Read the guide →Life Insurance for Beginners: A Plain-English Guide
Life insurance explained simply: what it is, the words that matter, term vs. whole vs. IUL, how much you need, how to buy it, and the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guide →Key Person Life Insurance: What It Is, How Much to Buy, and the Tax Rules
Key person insurance pays your business if an essential owner or employee dies. How it works, ways to size it, and the IRS paperwork that keeps it tax-free.
Read the guide →Mutual of Omaha Living Promise Review (2026): Level vs. Graded, and Who Qualifies
An independent agent's review of Mutual of Omaha's Living Promise final expense plan: issue ages, coverage limits, Level vs. Graded benefits, the health questions in plain English, and how it compares.
Read the guide →Life Insurance Lapsed? How to Reinstate It — or Replace It
Missed a payment and your life insurance lapsed? How grace periods and reinstatement usually work, what it takes to get the policy back, and when replacing it is the better move.
Read the guide →Mutual of Omaha vs. Colonial Penn: Comparing the Two Most-Advertised Guaranteed Acceptance Plans
Mutual of Omaha's Guaranteed Whole Life vs. Colonial Penn's guaranteed acceptance plan, side by side: ages, coverage, the two-year graded period, units vs. a flat face amount, and why many people qualify for day-one coverage instead.
Read the guide →SBA Loan Life Insurance Requirements: When Lenders Require It and How It Works
When SBA 7(a) and 504 lenders require life insurance, how much, why the policy is assigned to the lender, and how to get it done before closing.
Read the guide →The Real Cost of Dying in America (2026): Every Bill Your Family Faces
A funeral with burial and vault has a median cost of $9,995, before the grave, headstone and final bills. Every cost a family faces, what's covered, who pays.
Read the guide →Term Life Insurance Expiring? Your 5 Options Before It Ends
Your term policy is about to run out. Here are the five real options — renew, convert, replace, downsize to final expense, or a mix — what each costs you in health and money, and the deadline most people miss.
Read the guide →Royal Neighbors Ensured Legacy Review (2026): Preferred, Standard, Graded and Guaranteed Issue
An independent agent's review of Royal Neighbors of America's Ensured Legacy final expense: ages 50–85, up to $40,000, all four plan tiers, the health grid in plain English, and who lands where.
Read the guide →Transamerica FE Express Review (2026): Premier, Select and Graded Explained
An independent agent's review of Transamerica's FE Express Solution final expense: ages 18–85, up to $100,000, instant decisions from your medical records, and which health histories land in Premier, Select or Graded.
Read the guide →What Happens to Your Life Insurance When You Retire?
Work life insurance usually ends or shrinks when you retire. How conversion and portability work, the 31-day deadline, and what to do before your last day.
Read the guide →How Borrowing Against Life Insurance Actually Works (With a Hypothetical Example)
Policy loans are the reason people buy cash-value life insurance — and the reason some regret it. Here's exactly how borrowing against an IUL or whole life policy works, what it costs, why it isn't taxable while the policy stays in force, and the one risk that turns it into a tax bill.
Read the guide →IUL and Wealth Creation: What It Can Honestly Do (and the Order That Actually Builds Wealth)
Indexed universal life gets sold as the secret of the wealthy. Here's the honest sequence that actually builds wealth, the specific point where a max-funded IUL earns a place in it, and the pitch that hurts families.
Read the guide →Do I Need Life Insurance? The Honest Answer Is Usually Yes
Wondering if you really need life insurance? For almost everyone the honest answer is yes — here's why, even if no one depends on your income, plus how to think about how much.
Read the guide →Life Insurance for Foreign Nationals: Yes, Visa Holders Can Get Covered in the U.S.
On an H-1B, L-1, or another U.S. visa? You can very likely get U.S. life insurance. Here's which visas qualify, what carriers look for, and how to get covered the smart way.
Read the guide →Why Life Insurance Matters (And Why We Talk About It Honestly)
Life insurance isn't about death — it's about the people who depend on you. Here's what it really protects, who needs it, and how to think about it without the sales pressure.
Read the guide →Prepaying Your Funeral vs. Final Expense Insurance: Which Is Smarter?
Thinking about prepaying your funeral so your family doesn't have to? Here's an honest comparison of prepaid funeral plans vs. final expense life insurance — the trade-offs, the risks, and how to decide.
Read the guide →Can’t Afford Life Insurance Right Now? Start Small.
Think life insurance isn't in the budget? A small policy you can actually afford beats the perfect policy you never buy. Here's how to get meaningful coverage on a tight budget — and grow it later.
Read the guide →Term vs. Whole Life Insurance: A Plain-English Comparison
Term and whole life insurance solve different problems. Here's how each one works, what it costs you in trade-offs, and how to figure out which fits your family — without the jargon.
Read the guide →How Much Life Insurance Do I Actually Need?
A simple, honest way to estimate how much life insurance your family needs — covering income, debts, the mortgage, and final expenses — without guesswork or upselling.
Read the guide →Ready when you are
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