Life Insurance For Smokers

smokers life insurance quote

Life Insurance For Smokers

If you are a smoker, you probably know that life insurance for smokers can be more difficult to get and is generally more expensive than insurance for non-smokers.

However, the difficulty in getting low-cost insurance for smokers has led to a wide market for insurers who offer low rates for these applicants.

These companies can get you insurance rates that are close to the rates offered by other companies to non-smokers.

How Much More is Life Insurance for Smokers

Remember, premiums don’t go up just because your a smoker. That guys for chewing tobacco, too. I had a client in his younger 30′s who looked to be in good health.

I was floored when his medical came back and he was quoted as a tobacco user. Turns out I had no idea that he chewed (and he didn’t bother to tell me).

free life insurance quote

Guess how much more premiums for smokers are compared to non-smokers?

Some are almost four times as much!

I ran term life quotes for a male and female at 30 year term $250,000 preferred non-tobacco and preferred tobacco. In some of those numbers I ran the other day, I found differences up the 3.8 times as high for smokers versus non-smokers.

Check out these numbers for insurance premiums of tobacco users vs. non-users:

  • 30 Year Old, Male Non-Smoker: $282
  • 30 Year Old, Male Smoker: $735
  • Percent Difference: 2.606 times as expensive for the smoker
  • 30 Year Old, Female Non-Smoker: $200
  • 30 Year Old, Female Smoker: $527.50
  • Percent Difference: 2.638 times as expensive for the smoker
  • 40 Year Old, Male Non-Smoker: $375
  • 40 Year Old, Male Smoker: $1434
  • Percent Difference: 3.824 times as expensive for the smoker (this is the highest difference)
  • 40 Year Old, Female Non-Smoker: $300
  • 40 Year Old, Female Smoker: $977
  • Percent Difference: 3.256 times as expensive for the smoker

Here are some numbers for a 20 year term at $250,000 for a 40 year old

I ran these numbers since I figured a 40 year old probably wouldn’t want to have a life insurance premium payment until they were 70 years old.

  • 40 Year Old, Male Non-Smoker: $230
  • 40 Year Old, Male Smoker: $852
  • Percent Difference: 3.704 times as expensive for the smoker
  • 40 Year Old, Female Non-Smoker: $200
  • 40 Year Old, Female Smoker: $690
  • Percent Difference: 3.450 times as expensive for the smoker

Shopping Around for Insurance

The best plan for smokers is to take a hard look at various companies that offer life insurance for smokers to find ones that offer reasonable rates. You should apply to several companies to see which one offers the best rate. For smokers, the difference between the prices offered by various insurance companies can be enormous.

You can save more than 20 percent on life insurance for smokers by shopping around and finding a company that specializes in low rates for smokers.

free life insurance quote

Lowering Your Insurance Rate

If you want the best possible rate, the best plan of action is to shop around, take the best offer you can find and then to stop smoking. If you can quit for a year, you can get a policy that is priced as low as any other non-smoker policy. If you have other health issues, your rate may be higher, but a healthy person who has been smoke-free for a year can expect extremely low rates from most insurance companies. Your rate can be about half of what you paid before under your smokers’ policy.

Once you have decided on your course of action, you can look into life insurance for cigar smokers if you regularly smoke cigars or the best non-tobacco life insurance rates after quitting smoking if you want to choose that path. Each will give you a different rate scale, and each will have different life insurance companies that specialize in rates for those applicants.

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Miss Anon May 10, 2012 at 6:01 am

Hi Jeff,
My family has tried to get my grandfather to place insurance on himself for years. He’s a heavy smoker and hasn’t been to the doctor in ages. We’re afraid that our grandmother will be left without any savings from him. My grandfather is very superstitious and feels he will drop dead the day he signs the papers. Is there a way that one of his grandchildren can place life insurance on him?

I know it sounds creepy but what can we do?

Reply

Josh Epson (Army Veteran) May 10, 2012 at 8:23 pm

Other than smoking, I have excellent health. I spent 12 years in the military and exercise is a way of life for me. Are there insurance carriers that will take my overall health into consideration when creating my policy? I’m trying to save as much money as I can.

Reply

Beth May 10, 2012 at 8:51 pm

Josh said:

“Other than smoking, I have excellent health. I spent 12 years in the military and exercise is a way of life for me. Are there insurance carriers that will take my overall health into consideration when creating my policy? I’m trying to save as much money as I can.”

Seriously dude? So stop smoking!

Reply

Kevin P. May 12, 2012 at 1:15 am

What happens if I quit smoking while bring covered under a policy for smokers? What do I have to do in order to reflect the change?

Reply

Lydia May 13, 2012 at 3:13 am

Will I have to get extra insurance because I smoke? In other words, will my policy be the same as someone in the same age-bracket as I am?

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