Decreasing Term Insurance

A type of term insurance in which the death benefit is scheduled to gradually decrease over the term of the policy. The insured pays a level premium because the cost of insurance decreases each year. Decreasing term insurance is often used to protect a mortgage.

Dividend

A cash payment made to policyholders from the profits of a mutual life insurance company. The profit comes from excess premiums collected to cover the current year’s insurance costs. Dividends can be received as cash, used to pay a portion of the premium or applied to the policy to purchase paid up additions of insurance.