Life insurance in Texas
For the people who depend on your income. Term and permanent options, quoted across the carriers we represent.
What it covers
- A death benefit paid to the beneficiaries you name if you die while the policy is in force
- Paying off the mortgage so your family can stay in the house
- Replacing your income for the years your family would have counted on it
- Final expenses and debts, so they don't land on someone else
- Child care or college costs for kids still at home
- Cash value that builds inside a permanent policy, if you choose one (optional)
How it works
Life insurance is a contract: you pay a premium, and if you die while the policy is in force, the carrier pays the death benefit to the people you named. The two decisions that matter most are how much coverage and for how long.
Term life covers a set number of years. It’s built for the stretch of life where someone else depends on your paycheck: a mortgage, kids at home, a spouse who would need to keep the household running. When the term ends, so does the coverage, unless you renew or convert it.
Permanent life (whole life and universal life) is designed to last your whole life as long as premiums are paid. Part of the premium builds cash value you can borrow against. It costs more per dollar of coverage than term, so it tends to fit specific goals: final expenses, estate planning, or a policy you want to leave in place no matter what.
Texas doesn’t require anyone to carry life insurance. The reasons to buy it are personal, which is why the right amount for your neighbor may be wrong for you.
What changes your price
- Your age and whether you use tobacco, which matter more than anything else
- Your health, medications, and family medical history
- How much coverage and, for term, how many years
- Term versus permanent
- Hobbies and work that carriers treat as higher risk, like private aviation or offshore work
- Which carrier you’re quoted with, since each one weighs those factors differently
What we’ll ask you
- Your date of birth and whether you use tobacco
- Roughly how much coverage you have in mind, or what you want it to pay for
- A short health history: conditions, medications, and any surgeries
- Whether you’d rather avoid a medical exam
- Who the coverage is for
That’s enough to start. Quotes are free and there’s no obligation to buy.
Why go through an independent agent
Life carriers underwrite differently. One is strict on blood pressure and easy on family history; another is the reverse. A carrier that’s competitive for a healthy 35-year-old may be expensive for a 55-year-old with a managed condition. We quote several carriers at once, so you see those differences instead of taking one company’s answer.
We also quote life alongside your home and auto, so the coverage fits the rest of your picture instead of sitting on its own.
Common questions
Term or permanent?
Term covers you for a set period, often 10 to 30 years, and is usually the least expensive way to carry a large amount of coverage while a mortgage or young kids are in the picture. Permanent coverage (whole life and universal life) stays in force as long as premiums are paid and builds cash value, at a higher premium. Many families start with term and add permanent coverage later if it makes sense.
How much coverage do I need?
There's no single right answer. A common starting point is enough to pay off the mortgage and replace several years of income, then adjust for the savings you already have and what your family would actually spend. We can run the numbers with you on the call.
Do I have to take a medical exam?
It depends on the carrier, your age, and the amount. Some policies use an exam, some use prescription and medical records instead, and some smaller policies ask health questions only. Carriers price on health and family history, so the same person can get very different quotes, which is the reason to compare.
Does the policy through my job count?
Group life through an employer is worth having, but it usually ends when the job does, and it's often limited to one or two times your salary. An individual policy is yours regardless of where you work.
This page is general information about life insurance in Texas, not a description of any specific policy. What a policy covers, excludes, and pays is set by the policy documents the carrier issues, which control if anything here differs. Coverage availability and terms vary by carrier and by risk, and can change after this page was written. How we write and check these pages.
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