What is a Child Rider on Term Life Insurance?

A rider is an optional add-on to a life insurance policy. Life insurance riders have a range of benefits functions like provide additional coverage, waiving premiums, or even exclude coverage for specific conditions or events. 

One common beneficial rider typically offered on most policies, including term life insurance, is a child life insurance rider. But what is a child rider on term life insurance? And how does this additional coverage work? Let’s take a look now.  

What is a child life insurance rider?

A child life insurance rider provides additional coverage that pays a death benefit in the event one of your children passes away. Your family can use the rider’s benefit to support your family during a difficult time. The benefit from these child riders is typically used to cover funeral expenses and other end-of-life costs so they won’t impact the family’s financial security. 

Adding a child life rider to your term life insurance plan is one of the most affordable ways to insure your child’s life. The only other way to insure your children is through a separate whole life insurance policy, which can be much more expensive month to month.

How do these riders work?

Firstly, you need to qualify for a term life insurance plan before purchasing a child life insurance rider. Eligibility ages can vary depending on your insurer, but typical age ranges for a term plan start at 18 and go as high as 65. At termforme.com, our term life insurance plans have an eligibility age range of 18 to 70. 

Once you qualify for a term plan, you have the option to add a child rider to your policy. Children who are typically between the ages of 15 days to 18 years old can qualify for the coverage. A child life insurance rider can usually last up until the child reaches adulthood. Most insurers allow this coverage to last up to the age of 25. Some child life insurance riders also allow your children to convert the rider into a permanent life insurance plan.

What are the benefits of adding a child rider to a term life insurance plan?

Adding a child life insurance rider provides your family with further financial stability if the worst happens. Besides further securing your family’s financial future, a child term life rider has the following additional benefits:

• Affordable extra coverage. As mentioned above, adding a child rider to your term plan is a much more affordable alternative to purchasing a separate whole life insurance policy for each of your children. Also, if you have multiple children, you can cover all of them with one flat fee. 

• It meets changing needs and life events. A child rider can provide financial security to your children, whether they are biological, stepchildren or adoptive. If you are planning to adopt or have children in the future, your child rider provides reliable coverage for your growing family.

• Conversion options are available. Your child can convert the rider into a permanent plan after they reach the maximum coverage age. When converting to a permanent plan, your child’s health will not factor into their eligibility. There are no medical exam requirements when converting the rider into a whole life plan, giving your child guaranteed coverage even if they are diagnosed with an illness or condition later in life.

Are there any exemptions?

• The policyholder of the term life insurance plan needs to be between a certain age before they can add the child rider to their policy. This age range can vary from insurer to insurer, but it is generally anywhere from 20 to 55. 
• You cannot use a child life rider simultaneously with other riders on a life insurance policy.
• The child life rider typically needs to be purchased when you are applying for a new term life insurance policy. Once you already have a policy in place, you cannot add on a child life rider. 

An easier way to purchase term life insurance

At termforme.com, our goal is to make every aspect of term life insurance as easy as possible for Americans from every walk of life. Our 10-year term life insurance, 20-year term life insurance, and 30-year term life insurance plans all have a simple application process that can be done over the phone with no paperwork or face-to-face meetings with agents required.

If you are interested in learning more about your term life insurance options, feel free to use our short free quote form now.

Written by: Adam Bianco