More than one life insurance policy?
Can you have more than one life insurance policy, and is there ever a reason to do this?
Dear Dave,
Can you have more than one life insurance policy, and is there ever a reason to do this?
-Chad
Dear Chad,
Sure, you can. And there are several different reasons you might choose to do this.
One, like in my case, I have lots of insurance regarding our business, our estate plan and those kinds of things. In some cases, I've reached the limit on the amount of a policy a company will write on me. Most life insurance companies will only write so much in coverage for one person. So when this has happened, I'd go to another carrier for additional coverage.
Another reason people do this is to feel more secure from a company standpoint. If one insurance company goes out of business, they'll still have another policy, or policies, in place. Usually, that's not much of an issue. Most insurance companies are financially stable or have insurance to back them up with the state.
The only real problem with having more than one life insurance policy is that it complicates your life a little bit. You'd have two or three premium checks or withdrawals to worry about each month and possibly even additional policy fees. So generally speaking, it's cheaper to have just one policy. And I'd recommend having 10 to 12 times your annual income wrapped up in a good, level term policy.
But no, there aren't any rules against having more than one life insurance policy.
-Dave
Dave Ramsey is America's trusted voice on money and business. He's authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. His newest book, written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, is titled Smart Money Smart Kids and is out now. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.