You’ve finally made the decision to purchase a life insurance policy. Good for you! And good for your family, too. Making the decision to purchase a life insurance policy may seem like the hardest part, but it’s actually just the first step in the decision-making process.

You see, there isn’t just one kind of life insurance policy available. Purchasing a life insurance policy can be much different from purchasing, say, an auto insurance policy in which case you can decide on purchasing simple liability coverage, or full coverage, and a high enough amount of auto insurance to cover damages resulting from everything from car accidents to theft.

With life insurance policies, while there are also two main kinds – term life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies – the two are very different in what kind of coverage and extra benefits they offer. Term life insurance policies cover you for a certain period of time, while whole life insurance policies cover you for the duration of your life – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the differences between term life insurance policies and whole life insurance policies.

The bottom line is, once you’re ready to choose the kind of life insurance policy you want to purchase, you’re probably going to need some advice.

There are a few ways to get good advice when it comes to purchasing a life insurance policy. First, do some research on both term and life insurance. Find out exactly what each kind of policy offers and make notes.

Next, talk to friends and family members about which kinds of life insurance policies they’ve purchased. They’ll tell you what works for them and why, and this will help you determine what might work for you.

Finally, talk with insurance agents who specialize in selling both types of policies. Agents are trained professionals who can offer advice based on the coverage you need.