Life insurance can be confusing. So much lingo and terms that most people don't use in everyday language can make it seem like a maze. Can you trust your agent to guide you into a contract that will remain with you for years? Probably, but it's always best to understand things for yourself and also, to make sure that you're not paying too much.
One of the more common questions that people have, is the difference between term and whole life insurance.
Term life is temporary. It only lasts for the "term" and once it expires, it may or may not renew depending on your individual policy. It's good coverage to have while you're going through a period in your life that would require additional monies, should you pass away prematurely. It's not a long term investment though and shouldn't be something that you anticipate keeping in force for the rest of your life. Premiums are very unaffordable and designed to be so in elder years. Quotes for term life insurance are much less than for whole.
Whole life insurance is permanent. So long as you make your premium payments. There are some policies that are paid in full in 10, 20 or 30 years and no further premium payment is ever due to have the full death benefit afforded in your particular policy. Even if you only have a small whole life policy, it's a good idea to have that coverage started young (premiums are lower) so that when you're in your golden years, no one will have the burden of covering your burial expenses. Quotes for whole life are more expensive because it's a life long policy that is more likely to be paid out.
Save money by comparing quotes. Different insurance companies quote different premiums and offer different types of policies for different prices. The company that you choose to use can make a big difference in the amount of money that you're able to save each month on your monthly premium payment.