To some, life insurance seems like an unnecessary expense. But if you have people who depend on you -- and your income -- you need it.

The purpose of life insurance is to take care of your dependents. As such, it's an important part of your financial plan. How much life insurance do you need? Should you buy whole life or term? Is there a time when you don't need life insurance? This chapter will explain every aspect of a life insurance policy so you will be an educated consumer when you go shopping for one.

What can you expect to learn from this chapter:

How much life insurance do you really need?   By estimating how much money it will take to keep up your family's lifestyle, you can determine how much life insurance you need. How to shop for life insurance.   Life insurance is a long-term investment, so the health of the insurance company is a primary concern. Here's how to shop for insurance. What kind of policy do you need?   There's whole life, term life, universal life and variable life. What are they and which is best for you? Our chart shows the differences in a simple way. Chapter 1 quiz   Find out if you got the most from this section.