Having the right kind of life insurance coverage can give the protection and incredible peace of mind. But you always need a guide in purchasing life insurance. There are many variables to deal with when choosing the right coverage. You have to decide on the type of coverage and choose among the numerous life insurance companies which will meet your needs. The most popular and commonly known types are whole life insurance and term life insurance.You have to bear in mind that getting yourself insured for life is not the only one to think about. There is also the chance that you will get disabled and cannot work. So disability insurance is also necessary to put into consideration. If you lose your earnings, who is going to fill in the gap, your employment and government benefits may not be enough. So always consider protecting your income in case you are disabled and cannot work for prolong period of time.When planning to insure yourself, the first thing you have to do is to figure out how much your family and love ones need if you are not around. The easiest way do this is to use online calculators that are readily available on the internet. This will give a ballpark figure as to amount and rates you may be looking for. What you really need to calculate is how those left behind will need. For instance, how much your children need until they finish their university education and how much your spouse need until retirement time.The next thing you should do is to decide on the type of life insurance. If you are just starting or younger, it is best to get a term life instead of the whole life. Term life will provide the coverage for a specified period of time from 1 to 30 years. This is very predictable so you know for how long you may need to be covered until they can be on their own. Most people between the ages of 25 to 50 take out a term life simply because it is cheaper and more affordable yet you are covered.A whole life is not a bad type of insuring yourself but it is more expensive and wealthier individual can afford this type. The advantage of this is that you are covered for the rest of your life and your premiums will not change. It also has cash value account which will accumulate in value through time and you are allowed to borrow against it. It is more expensive because of the savings component attached to it.After deciding on the type of insurance, the nest thing is to get quotes online for you to have an idea of what you are looking at. This is not the final rates or premiums but just a ball park figure to give you an idea. And do not forget to get in shape before your medical exams. No high blood pressure, low cholesterol and less weight, and strongly advice to quit smoking as this will increase your premiums.The life insurance companies and their financial strength and reliability are of utmost importance. You would like to see that these companies or insurers are still around when you make your claims. You may also need to verify and check if the insurer is licensed to sell life insurance in your state. This is very important because if something goes wrong and the insurer is not licensed in your state, your state department cannot help you. There are rating agencies like Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s and other prominent rating agencies which can help you see the most reliable and financially sound insurer.Through time your life situation will going to change, thus make the necessary adjustment as they come. Whether you are going to take a term life insurance or decided on a whole life insurance to protect your family, just make sure take the one suit your needs. And do not forget to choose from the among those reliable life insurance companies to ensure your covered truly for life.