'Low-Load' Life Insurance

You already know "no-load" mutual funds spare you the high cost of broker commissions. What you may not know is that "no-load" life insurance can do the same. But before you consider life insurance at any cost, you should first determine whether owning it at all makes sense for you -- it doesn't for everyone.

Many people have asked me, "How do I go about determining if I need any life insurance?" Assuming it is not a business situation, here are five reasons to consider buying life insurance:

1. To replace income if a spouse dies. Many couples say they won't need to do this because both have successful careers. Others say they would like to replace all or some of the income. It is obviously a very personal decision. ...