Scottsdale, Arizona
Term life insurance, without the six-week wait
The old version of this meant a paramedic at your kitchen table and a month of silence. It usually doesn't work that way now. Many carriers decide in days, and many applicants never see a medical exam. We shop several carriers for you and call with real prices.
Sullivan James is an independent insurance agency in Scottsdale, licensed in Arizona and writing coverage since 2016.
Get my quotesWhat it's for
One question, and only one
If your income stopped tomorrow, does your family keep the house? That is the question term life exists to answer. Everything else about it — the term lengths, the riders, the underwriting classes — is detail hanging off that one sentence.
Term life covers a defined period rather than your whole life, which is why it costs a fraction of permanent coverage. It fits the years when other people depend on your earnings: while the mortgage runs and while the children are still children.
Same price. Different phone number.
Buying life insurance direct and buying it through an agency cost exactly the same. The carrier pays the commission out of the premium either way — going direct does not save you the money, it just means nobody is holding the file.
The difference shows up in five years, when you buy a bigger house or have another child and need to know whether the coverage still fits. That is a thirty-second conversation with an agent who has your file, and an afternoon with a call centre that doesn't.
How much
Most people carry whatever work handed them
Group coverage through an employer is usually one to two times salary. The common guideline is ten to twelve. That gap is the whole reason this page exists — and four numbers decide where you actually sit.
The mortgage
The balance, not the payment. If the house is meant to stay in the family, the loan has to be payable without the income that was servicing it.
Income replacement
The years between now and when the household would no longer depend on your earnings. This is usually the largest number and the one most often left out.
Getting the kids through
Childcare, school, and college — costs that continue on their own schedule regardless of what happened to the income.
What's already there
Subtract savings and any group coverage through work. Group coverage is usually one to two times salary and usually ends with the job, so it rarely closes the gap on its own.
Add the first three, subtract the fourth. That number is your starting point, and you choose the final amount during the application.
How it works
Three steps, one afternoon
01
A minute, no health questions
Name, contact, ZIP and state. Just enough for a licensed agent to reach you.
02
We shop the carriers and call you
A licensed agent compares several carriers for your age, health and coverage amount, calls with real prices, and helps you choose the amount and term length. You apply only if it fits.
03
We stay on the file
The policy is issued by the carrier and the documents come to you. Sullivan James remains your agent of record, so when the situation changes there is someone to call who already knows your coverage.
Questions
The ones worth asking first
Do I need a medical exam for term life insurance?
Often not. Many carriers now use accelerated underwriting, based on your answers plus records they can already access, for healthy applicants and moderate coverage amounts. Some applications still require an exam, and we tell you up front which carriers would ask for one.
How much term life insurance should I carry?
A common starting point is ten to twelve times your income. Then adjust for what is actually owed: your mortgage balance, other debts, and what it would cost to get your children through school. Subtract savings and any coverage you already hold through work.
What term length should I choose?
Match the term to the obligation. If the point is to cover a 30-year mortgage, a 30-year term fits. If it is to get two young children to independence, 20 years often covers it. A term that ends while the obligation continues is the most common mistake.
Is employer life insurance enough?
Usually not. Group coverage is typically one to two times salary against a common guideline of ten to twelve, and it generally ends when the job does. It is a supplement to an individual policy, not a replacement for one.
Does buying through an agency cost more than going direct?
No. The premium is the same either way — the carrier pays the agency commission out of it whether or not an agent is involved. What differs is whether anyone picks up the phone in five years when you have a new house and another child.
Is Sullivan James the insurance company?
No. Sullivan James is an independent insurance agency in Scottsdale, Arizona. Policies are issued by the carrier, and no coverage is in force until the carrier issues the policy and the first premium is paid.
A few minutes, and it's off the list
Nobody wakes up wanting to buy life insurance. It sits on the list for years because the old version was miserable. This one isn't.
Get my quotesOr call (480) 382-7332 and talk to a licensed agent.
Sullivan James Insurance is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company. Policies are issued and underwritten by the carrier. No coverage is in force until the carrier issues the policy and the first premium is paid. Approval is not guaranteed and is subject to underwriting. Sullivan James holds a resident life license in Arizona; applicants residing elsewhere are contacted personally by a licensed agent.