Basically, there are two types of life insurance: Term and Permanent.
Permanent provides lifetime coverage and Term provides temporary life insurance protection.
Since term is temporary it costs a lot less than permanent life insurance.
Term life provides coverage for a period of 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years, usually, or until you reach a certain age like 65 or 70.
Term life is pure life insurance protection with no investment or cash value inside the policy.
If you die during the term of your policy your beneficiary receives a death benefit. If you outlive the term your life insurance expires.
The shorter your term, the lower your rate for life insurance.
For instance, a 10 year term life policy will have a lower rate than a 20 year term policy because the chances of your dying within 10 years are lower than you dying within 20 years.
Annual renewable term life is cheapest for a short term, but the rate increases at renewal each year.
A level term life insurance policy locks-in your rate for the term of your life insurance. So, a 15 year level term life insurance plan will have a rate that remains the same each year, and the amount of life insurance stays level throughout the 15 year term.
Level term life insurance is the most popular type of term life insurance coverage.