Yes, toilet paper is hard to come by and there’s no telling when you’ll be able to eat in a restaurant again. But the pandemic is also causing economic turmoil, driving changes in the stock markets, interest rates, and the insurance industry. Obviously, your portfolio has been hit hard by the turbulent financial markets. As well, your life insurance policy — or the prospect of getting one — may look very different as the U.S. pandemic response evolves.

What do insurable interest and gravity have in common? Both are fundamental concepts that impact our lives daily, and yet we hardly think about either one. Gravity keeps your feet on the ground, and insurable interest underpins every insurance policy you’ve ever owned.

Whole life insurance, sometimes called “straight life” or “ordinary life,” is a type of permanent life insurance and is the most well-known form of life insurance. Whole life insurance policies last the whole life of the policyholder and are paid out to the policyholder’s beneficiary or beneficiaries upon death provided that premiums are paid. It’s important to note that because whole life insurance lasts throughout the policyholder’s life, premiums are typically higher and cost more than term life insurance. Along with death benefits, whole life insurance also comes with a type of savings called “cash value” and may grow tax-deferred interest.

Life insurance is like pizza — it comes in many styles and the customization options are practically endless. But unlike pizza, it’s cost-prohibitive to sample life insurance policies to pick the one you like. And that means you’ll have to know your options and clarify your financial goals to land on the type of life insurance that’ll work for you.

Term life insurance, also known as pure life insurance, provides coverage during a specified length of time and guarantees the payment of a death benefit during that period. The shortest term policy available is for one year, and you can typically buy policies with terms that last up to 30 years, or until you reach a specified age.

Accelerated death benefits are life insurance policy riders or provisions that can be added to your insurance and allows you to access death benefits while you’re still alive. The accelerated death benefit is common and can often be included in your policy at no additional cost.