Term Life Insurance FAQs

Understanding the basics

  • What is term life insurance?
    Term life insurance covers you for a specific number of years, like 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. You pay a fixed amount of money (the premium) every month, six months, or year. If you pass away during this time, the policy pays the amount of money you chose (coverage amount) to the loved ones you picked (your beneficiaries).
  • Is term life insurance right for me?
    Term life insurance covers you for a specific number of years and a fixed amount of money. It can act as a safety net and give financial help to your loved ones if you pass away unexpectedly. Term life insurance is available for those who are 18 years old and older, US citizens, and permanent residents of the United States.
  • What is the difference between term life and whole life insurance?
    Term life insurance covers you for a specific amount of time you select—such as 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years—for a predetermined dollar amount. It can be an affordable way to protect those you love. Whole life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance, which means it generally provides coverage for your entire life. Often, its premiums are fixed, and there can be a guaranteed cash value and a payout amount. Read Viewpoints: What you should know about life insurance to learn more.
  • How long should I have term life insurance for?
    Your expenses and financial responsibilities change throughout your life and so will your coverage needs. Fidelity offers term life insurance in increments of 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years in most states. Our quote tool can help assess your coverage needs and estimate the cost.
  • How much term life insurance should I consider?
    The amount of coverage you choose should match how much money you want your beneficiaries to get if you were to pass away unexpectedly. Start by thinking about your family's day-to-day needs—the total amount of money needed to run your household each month. You can also estimate how much your loved ones might need to pay off debts—loans, a mortgage, credit cards, etc. If you have a spouse or partner, it's also important to have coverage for both of you, no matter how much each person earns. You might need to cover costs like extra childcare or time off to settle the estate. Explore our term life insurance coverage calculator to find out how much you may need.
  • Does a Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy have cash value?
    Our term life policies don't have cash value and don't pay out after the term ends. Our policies give life insurance coverage for a set time and provide your beneficiaries with the full policy amount if you pass away unexpectedly.
  • What is the purpose of the Fidelity Term Life Insurance quote tool?
    Our term life insurance quote tool can help you figure out how much coverage you may need and how much it could cost per month. You’ll start by sharing some basic information, such as height, weight, and current health status. Please note that the quote tool provides an estimate only. Your final price is personalized and based on your answers in the online application (e.g., health history, lifestyle, and family health history), medical information, and third-party data collected during underwriting. Get a term life quote.
  • Can I have more than one Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    You can have multiple life insurance policies, and some people have coverage through workplace and individual policies. However, having multiple individual policies may limit the amount of coverage you are able to apply for. Our quote tool can help assess your coverage needs and estimate the cost.
  • Can I replace an existing policy with a Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    We don't currently offer replacement policies. So, if you're planning to cancel an existing policy—for instance, to pay for a new one—we won't be able to offer you a Fidelity term life policy. However, if you're planning to layer, or add to, your existing coverage, we may be able to help.
  • What is a term life insurance premium?
    Your premiums are based on the policy value, term, your age, sex at birth, and health status. Premium payments are level (will not change) throughout the term and will only change if you continue your coverage beyond the term. You can pay your premiums monthly, semiannually, or annually.
  • Can I complete a Fidelity Term Life Insurance application on behalf of someone else?
    The applicant and the insured person must be the same.
  • Can I insure my spouse, child, parent, or sibling with a Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    At this time, you can only apply for and buy a term life insurance policy for yourself. The best option to help get a loved one protected is to share this term life insurance overview and suggest they apply for their own policy.
  • Does Fidelity Investments1 offer life insurance?
    Not to be confused with other life insurance providers that contain "Fidelity" in their name, Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of FMR, LLC, the parent company of Fidelity Investments.
  • Why should I purchase term life insurance through Fidelity?
    Fidelity Investments Life Insurance Company is a highly rated life insurer2 that has supported families like yours since 1987. You do not have to be a customer to apply.
  • What does inforce life insurance mean?
    Inforce means your term life insurance policy is active, and you're covered. Being caught up on payments keeps your policy active.

Application process

Purchasing and payment methods

  • How long does it take to receive a copy of my Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    You can view, download, and print your full policy documents online 1 business day after your coverage starts. If you pay your first premium with a credit or debit card, your coverage starts right away. If you pay with a bank account, your coverage starts after your payment is processed, which usually takes 3 business days.
  • Will my term life insurance policy appear on Fidelity.com?
    In most cases, you can find your policy details online if you bought your policy on or after October 10, 2022. Log into your Fidelity account and go to the Portfolio Summary page. Look for your policy information under Protection Accounts. Policy details are usually available online within 1 business day after we issue your policy. If your policy was issued in New York, please call us at 844–996–5433 Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, and Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET. We can mail you a copy of your policy documents.
  • Is there a benefit to paying my term life insurance premium annually versus monthly or semiannually?
    If you pay annually, your premium payments are usually lower than if you pay every six months (semiannually) or every month.
  • How can I pay for my new Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    After you're approved for a Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy, we'll send your offer email with a secure link for making your first premium payment. Once the payment goes through, your coverage starts. Right now, you can pay online via credit card or by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from your bank. To pay from your Fidelity Brokerage® account, you'll need to complete and return the Billing Form—Term Life Insurance form found on the Forms & Applications page. Select Term Life Insurance from the Choose Topics drop-down
  • Once I'm a policy owner, can I change how often I pay my term life insurance premium?
    Yes, you may request billing frequency changes at any time, and the change will take effect on your next policy anniversary. For example, if your policy anniversary date is January 31, you will keep paying at the current interval until it changes on January 31 of the next year. To update your billing frequency, fill out and return the Billing Form—Term Life Insurance form found on the Forms & Applications page. Choose Term Life Insurance from the drop-down menu.
  • Once I'm a policy owner, can I change my payment method on my Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    If you bought your policy on or after October 10, 2022, you can change your payment method online. Log in to your Fidelity account and go to the Portfolio Summary page. Look for your policy information under Protection Accounts to update your payments. If you bought your policy before October 10, 2022, you can change your payment method by filling out and returning the Billing Form—Term Life Insurance form. You can find this form on the Forms & Applications page. Choose Term Life Insurance from the drop-down menu. For policies issued in New York, please call us at 844-519-5433, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m. ET.
  • Who pays the premiums on a term life insurance policy?
    The policy owner is responsible for paying the premiums on the policy. Premiums can be paid by direct deposit via electronic funds transfer (EFT) or by credit or debit card. If necessary, a power of attorney (POA) can also be added to make payments on the owner’s behalf. An owner can name a POA by completing the Durable Power of Attorney, Affidavit and Indemnification—Term Life Insurance form found on the Forms & Applications page. Select Term Life Insurance from the Choose Topics drop-down.
  • How can I get help with payments on my Fidelity Term Life Insurance policy?
    If you need assistance setting up payments for a new policy, call us at 844-996-5433 Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. ET and Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET. For questions about managing payments for an existing policy, review the Billing Form—Term Life Insurance form on the Forms & Applications page or call us at 844-519-5433 Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m. ET.

Beneficiaries

Policy management