One of the most important thing to know is if the insurance company you buy from will be able to pay death benefits when you die.

• Choose a company with a good reputation and past history.
• Choose a company that offers the product and features that meet your needs
• Find out what state the insurance company is licensed. Be sure to know the full name, home office location and affiliation of any company you are considering.
• Choose a company that is likely to be financially sound for many years, by using ratings from independent rating agencies.
• Choose a life insurance company that will communicate with you and who is attentive to your needs.
• Check the national database to see what complaint information it has on the insurance company.The state insurance department will be able to tell you if there has been many consumer complaints about its service relative to the number of policies it sold.
• The premium and cost of your insurance contract is important so you should compare similar insurance plans based on: Your age, the type of policy, the policy features and the amount of insurance you are purchasing

Visit the State Department of Insurance web site to get the information you need about any insurance company.