How much do life insurance riders add to my premium?

Life insurance riders add functionality to your policy but also add cost. Understanding typical rider costs helps you evaluate whether the benefit justifies the expense.

Waiver of premium riders—which keep your policy in force if you become totally disabled—typically cost 1–5% of the base policy premium. For a $200/month policy, this adds $2–$10/month (illustrative; actual costs vary by carrier, age, and health).

Accelerated death benefit riders, which allow you to access a portion of the death benefit if diagnosed with a terminal illness, are often included at no additional charge by many carriers. Some charge a nominal fee at the time of claim rather than as an ongoing premium.

Guaranteed insurability riders let you purchase additional coverage at life events without new underwriting. Cost varies by carrier and age at issue, typically adding $10–$30 per month (illustrative).

Child term riders covering all children are among the most cost-efficient riders—often $5–$15 per month for all children regardless of count (illustrative).

Long-term care riders vary most widely—cost depends heavily on the LTC benefit structure and current LTC insurance market conditions. These can add $50–$200/month or more (illustrative).

Review all rider costs against the probability and financial impact of the covered scenario. An agent in our network can present the full cost breakdown for any rider combination.