Term vs Whole Life Insurance in Ontario

Jan. 23

(Ten-minute read time)

Understanding the nuances between different life insurance policies is not just beneficial—it's essential. In this article, we will compare term versus whole life insurance, examining the pros and cons of each type, to help you to weigh their respective advantages and limitations. Finally, we will equip you with the knowledge to choose the best life insurance policy tailored to the unique needs of your family. Don’t forget to fill out our quick life insurance form, and we will send you a quote.

Whether you are starting a new family or looking to reinforce your existing financial strategy, this article aims to provide clarity, dispel doubts, and empower you with the confidence to make informed choices about life insurance in Ontario.

To Learn More About Life Insurance, Check Out Our Other Articles:

What Type of Life Insurance is Best?

Am I Too Young For Life Insurance?

Getting Approved for Life Insurance in Ontario - What You Need to Know

What Is Underwriting in Life Insurance

Understanding Life Insurance

Life insurance is a financial agreement between an individual and an insurance company, designed to provide financial protection to the individual's beneficiaries in the event of their untimely death.

Essentially, the individual, known as the policyholder, pays regular premiums to the insurance company, and in return, the company agrees to pay a designated sum of money, known as the death benefit, to the policyholder's named beneficiaries after their death. This sum can help cover funeral expenses, settle debts, and provide financial support to the policyholder's family, ensuring their financial security and stability in the policyholder’s absence.

What are Term and Whole Life Insurance Policies?

Life insurance policies come in various forms. The choice of policy depends on the individual's needs, goals, and financial situation. Since term and whole life insurance serve different financial needs and goals, it is important to consider your individual circumstances and long-term objectives when choosing between them.

Term life insurance provides coverage for a set period, typically 10 to 30 years, and pays a death benefit if the insured passes away during this term. If the insured outlives the term, coverage ends without a return of premiums, unless the policy includes a return of premium feature. Known for its affordability and simplicity, term life insurance offers direct coverage without an investment or cash value component.

Whole life insurance, a type of permanent life insurance, offers lifelong coverage with a fixed premium and a guaranteed death benefit. It includes a cash value component that grows tax-deferred and can be accessed via loans or withdrawals. Managed by the insurer, this investment component complements long-term financial planning, such as estate planning, by offering both a death benefit and a savings element.

Choosing between term and whole life insurance is like deciding between renting and buying: term insurance offers temporary, affordable coverage like renting a home, while whole life provides a lasting investment like buying a house, building equity over time.

Find out the difference between private and group life insurance by reading our article: Is My Work Insurance Enough?

Comparing Life Insurance: Benefits and Trade-offs of Term vs Whole Life

Term Life Insurance Benefits:

Protection for Specific Needs: Term life insurance is an ideal solution for covering specific financial responsibilities such as a mortgage, personal loans, or educational expenses for a designated period. This ensures that these liabilities are taken care of in the event of your unexpected passing.
Cost-Effective Coverage: With premiums that are generally lower than those of a whole life policy, term life insurance allows you to obtain a significant amount of coverage for a more affordable cost, making it accessible for those with a tighter budget or those in need of a large coverage amount.
Adaptability to Life Changes: As your life circumstances evolve—such as changes in your family structure, career, or financial obligations—term life insurance can adapt. You can choose the term length that best matches your current needs and consider renewal or conversion options in the future.
Stable and Predictable Premiums: Term life insurance policies offer fixed premiums for the duration of the term, providing predictability in your financial planning. There are no surprises with your budgeting, as your rates are locked in and guaranteed not to increase during the term.
Guaranteed Death Benefit: Should the insured individual pass away during the policy term, term life insurance provides a guaranteed death benefit to the beneficiaries. This benefit is typically paid out tax-free, offering financial support and stability to your loved ones when they need it most.
Simplicity and Transparency: Term life insurance policies are straightforward to understand, with no cash value component or investment features to consider. This transparency allows you to focus solely on the protective aspect of the insurance.
Option for Conversion: Many term life insurance policies include a conversion feature, allowing you to convert your term policy to a permanent policy without undergoing further medical underwriting. This benefit is particularly valuable if your health status changes and you want to ensure continued coverage

Term Life Insurance Trade-offs:

Limited Coverage Duration: Term life insurance only provides coverage for a specified period, or "term." If you outlive the policy, your beneficiaries receive no death benefit, and the coverage ends without any return on the premiums paid.
No Cash Value Accumulation: Unlike whole life insurance, term policies do not have a cash value component, which means you cannot borrow against the policy or receive any value if the policy is cancelled before it expires.
No Equity or Savings: Since term life insurance doesn't build equity or have an investment component, it doesn't contribute to your financial assets or serve as a tool for savings or wealth accumulation.
Increasing Premiums Upon Renewal: While initial premiums are generally lower for term life compared to whole life, they can increase significantly upon renewal as you age, making the policy more expensive over time.
Cost of Long-Term Coverage: Over the long term, the cost of maintaining term life insurance can exceed that of a permanent policy due to increasing premiums, especially as the insured person gets older and their insurability changes.
Renewal Challenges: At the end of a term, you may face higher premiums or may not be eligible for renewal at all if your health has declined. This could leave you without coverage when you might need it most.
Policy Cancellation Risk: If premiums are not paid on time, the insurance company can cancel your term life policy, leaving you without coverage.
Potential for Overpayment: If you renew your term life insurance multiple times, the cumulative premiums paid over the years can eventually become substantial, without any financial return if the policy is never claimed.

Whole Life Insurance Benefits:

Lifelong Protection: Whole life insurance guarantees coverage for the entirety of your life, ensuring that your beneficiaries receive a death benefit no matter when you pass away, as long as the policy remains in force.
Retirement Income: The policy's cash value can provide supplemental retirement income through policy loans or withdrawals, offering financial flexibility in your golden years.
Tax-Deferred Growth: The cash value of a whole life insurance policy grows tax-deferred, which can significantly increase the amount of savings over time compared to a taxable investment.
Wealth Transfer: Whole life insurance can be an efficient vehicle for transferring wealth to the next generation, often bypassing probate and delivering a tax-free inheritance to your beneficiaries.
Estate Planning: The death benefit can be used to cover estate taxes, ensuring that a larger portion of your estate is preserved for your heirs without the burden of significant tax liabilities.
Cash Value Accumulation: A portion of your premium payments contributes to a cash value, which grows over time and can be accessed through loans or withdrawals, or received as a cash refund if you decide to surrender the policy.
Loan Flexibility: You can borrow against the cash value of your policy, providing a source of funds for emergencies, opportunities, or as a loan collateral. However, it's important to manage such loans carefully to preserve the policy's full death benefit.
Guaranteed Premiums and Death Benefit: Premiums and the death benefit amount are guaranteed, offering predictability and stability in your financial planning, with no surprises or rate increases to worry about.
Dividend Earnings: Participating whole life insurance policies may earn dividends, which can be used to purchase additional coverage, reduce premiums, or simply be taken as cash, further enhancing the policy's value.

Whole Life Insurance Trade-offs

Higher Premiums: Whole life insurance typically has higher premiums than term life insurance because it provides coverage for a lifetime and includes a cash value component.
Complexity: The investment aspect of whole life insurance can make it more complex to understand. Policyholders need to comprehend how cash value accumulates, how dividends are paid, and the implications of policy loans.
Long-term Commitment: To gain the benefits of this policy, you should commit for a long time, 20 years or more. If you are not planning for the long term, this policy may not be the best fit for you.
Tax Implications: In some cases, cashing out your policy early can result in a tax consequence.
Investment Returns: The cash value component of whole life insurance often yields lower returns compared to investing directly in the market, due to the conservative nature of the investments and the fees and expenses associated with the insurance policy.
Cost Over Time: Because whole life insurance is designed to last a lifetime, you may end up paying premiums for a much longer period than you would with a term life insurance policy.
Opportunity Cost: The higher premiums of whole life insurance mean less money in your pocket for other investments or financial opportunities that may offer higher returns.
Surrender Charges: If you decide to cancel your whole life policy (surrender it) within the first few years, there may be high surrender charges, and you could receive less than the total cash value accumulated.
Slow Cash Value Growth: The cash value of a whole life policy typically grows slowly over the initial years of the policy due to upfront fees and the structure of the policy.

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Why Life Insurance Matters: The Importance for Young Families in Ontario

Life insurance is an essential component of financial planning that holds particular significance for young families in Ontario. This type of insurance acts as a financial safety net, providing peace of mind that, in the event of an untimely death, loved ones will not be left to shoulder financial burdens alone. The assurance that daily living expenses, debts, and mortgage payments will be covered can alleviate stress during a challenging time.

In Ontario, where many young families are managing significant debts, including mortgages, life insurance offers a solution for managing these substantial financial responsibilities. It provides a way to settle outstanding debts, potentially preventing the family from risking their home and offering a stable financial platform from which to move forward. Additionally, the loss of income following a family member's passing can be detrimental, but life insurance helps maintain a standard of living, ensuring that childcare and educational needs are met. This support is critical for young families, who often balance their financial planning with the growth and development of their dependents.

Another aspect where life insurance proves invaluable is in educational planning. With the cost of education rising, the ability to fund children's schooling without relying on student loans is a significant advantage. The proceeds from a life insurance policy can be earmarked for educational expenses, allowing children to pursue their futures unencumbered by financial constraints.

Life insurance also plays a vital role in estate planning and managing taxes. It offers a mechanism to provide tax-free funds to cover any estate taxes or final expenses, thus preserving the value of the estate for heirs. This aspect of life insurance ensures that a family's legacy can be passed on without additional financial penalties.

For younger individuals, securing life insurance comes with the benefit of more affordable premiums. Insurers typically offer lower rates for younger, healthier individuals, and locking in these lower rates can lead to significant long-term savings. As a result, obtaining life insurance at a younger age is not only cost-effective but also a wise financial strategy for the future.

Ultimately, life insurance is about more than immediate coverage—it represents a long-term investment in the security and stability of a family's future. It is a foundational element of a well-rounded financial plan that reassures young families in Ontario that they are prepared for whatever life may bring.

To learn about how you can get approved, read our article: Getting Approved for Life Insurance in Ontario - What You Need to Know

Evaluating Life Insurance Options: Consider This Scenario

Sarah is a 35-year-old woman in standard health and a non-smoker living in Ontario. Since she has one young child and a mortgage, she is considering obtaining life insurance, either term or whole life. After evaluating her expenses, she has a monthly budget of around $75. To help determine what life insurance is best with her, she decided to speak with her advisor, who helped outline the two options based on her situation and budget:

Option 1: Term Life Insurance

Monthly Payment: $76.50 a month
Length of Coverage: 20 years
Guaranteed Death Benefit: $2,000,000

This option gives her a high death benefit for a defined amount of time, so she can ensure her mortgage is paid off in the event of premature death. She also has the guaranteed option to renew to the age of 100, without having to prove her health, even if her health declines. However, pricing will change at renewal, in this case, an increase of $1,552.50 per month. This is because when she is older, there is more risk associated.

This policy is the most cost-effective when you have a defined timeline for your simple insurance needs.

If Sarah keeps this policy till she retires at 65 years old, she will have paid $204,660, which is an average of $569 a month!

Option 2: Whole Life Insurance

Monthly Payment: $76.50
Length of Coverage: Till age 100 (65 years)
Guaranteed Death Benefit: $57,939
Plus expected Death Benefit increase up to $81,898 at 55 years old and $208,807 at 85 years old
Includes optional expected Cash Value of $23,276 at 55 years old and $163,694 at 85 years old

This option gives her a guaranteed permanent death benefit that grows so that she can plan for her family’s future or final expenses. Sarah can also potentially borrow from the cash value of this policy to put towards her child’s wedding, down payment, schooling, etc. Her coverage never goes up in price for as long as she lives, but the death benefit is lower than the term option.

Compared to the term policy, this policy is the most cost-effective in the long run and provides you the flexibility to access the funds while you are still living.

If Sarah keeps this policy till she retires at 65 years old, she will have paid $27,540, which is an average of $76.50 a month, but the death benefit coverage starts 35 times lower than the term policy in year 1.

Sarah prefers a higher death benefit but would like to keep monthly costs within her budget. Sarah’s advisor suggests she combine both options. This is possible because the insurance company Sarah picked works with both term and whole life insurance.

Option 3: Combination of Term and Whole Life Insurance

She combines the two: 20-year coverage of term life insurance at $1,000,000, and 65 years coverage of whole life insurance.

Initially

Monthly Payment: $76.50 a month
Guaranteed Death Benefit: $1,027,775

After 20 years

Monthly Payment decreases to $36.67
Term policy expires
Expected Death Benefit increases up to $40,340 at 55 years old and $72,231 at 85 years old
Includes expected Cash Value of $12,134 at 55 years old and $56,540 at 85 years old

For the first 20 years, Sarah is protected by the highest death benefit, and a growing permanent coverage, that will be guaranteed to pay out no matter how long she lives. Additionally, after 20 years, her monthly payment will be reduced, meaning she can invest the money she saved elsewhere.

By combining the two life insurance policies, Sarah is still within budget and gets to enjoy the benefits of each policy.

If Sarah keeps this policy till she retires at 65 years old, she will have paid $22,760.40, which is an average of $63.22 a month.

All policies are subject to underwriting. Expected cash value and death benefit is an estimate of a level of performance from the insurance company that is not guaranteed.

How to Choose the Best Life Insurance Policy for Your Family's Needs in Ontario

Let’s compare the features and strategic benefits of term life versus whole life, to see which one is best fit for your family’s situation and needs.

Term Life Insurance Is Best for Families Who Want:

Cost-Effective Coverage: Term life insurance policies are typically more affordable than whole life, offering substantial coverage for a lower premium, ideal for families with budget constraints.
Simplicity and Clarity: With straightforward terms and fixed premiums during the policy term, term life insurance is easy to understand, making it a practical choice for those seeking clear, no-frills protection.
Coverage on Temporary Needs: It's ideal for temporary or time-specific financial obligations, providing peace of mind during the most vulnerable years of financial exposure.
Flexibility for Changing Needs: Term life insurance can be purchased for specific periods, aligning with critical phases of financial responsibility, like mortgage payments or your children’s educational years.
Convertible Options: Many term life policies include the option to convert to a whole life or permanent insurance policy without a medical exam, offering flexibility for future changes in coverage needs.
Focus on Protection: Term life insurance is purely for life coverage without an investment component, which means you're not paying for any additional savings or cash value features.
Policy End Return: Some term life insurance policies offer a return of premium at the end of the term if no claim has been made, serving as a risk-free life insurance solution.

Whole Life Insurance Is Best for Families Who Want:

Tax-Deferred Earnings: Whole life insurance policies can serve as an additional avenue for generating tax-deferred earnings, especially beneficial for those who have maximized contributions to registered plans like RRSPs and TFSAs.
Guaranteed Premiums: The premiums for whole life insurance are fixed and guaranteed not to increase, providing long-term budget certainty and lifelong coverage.
Loan Collateral: The cash value accumulated in a whole life insurance policy can be used as collateral for loans, providing financial flexibility for policyholders.
Estate Planning: Whole life insurance can be an effective tool for estate planning, helping to offset potential estate taxes or other liabilities, ensuring a smoother wealth transfer to beneficiaries.
Intergenerational Wealth Transfer: Whole life insurance can be a strategic way to pass on wealth to the next generation, without triggering tax events.
Retirement Income: The cash value in a whole life policy can be accessed via policy loans or withdrawals and used as additional income during retirement, complementing other retirement funds.
Hands-Off Investment Growth: The investment component of whole life insurance grows tax-deferred within the policy, providing a hands-off approach to growing wealth without the need for active management

Conclusion

Life insurance is a financial product designed to provide financial security and support to your dependents in the event of your untimely death. It ensures that your loved ones are not burdened by debts or living expenses, and it can even serve as a financial legacy. By comparing the types of life insurance, you can make informed decisions about your future.

Want to learn more? Fill out our quick life insurance form and we will send you a quote.