what type of insurance does a 28, married male in good health need?

It's important to think about life insurance at this early stage, even if it does require confronting a pretty grim prospect. The point of buying life insurance is, of course, to replace your income for the people who would suffer financially if you die (i.e., your dependents). If the employer offers a plan, enrolling in it is a good first step. But most likely, it's a group policy and the coverage is non-portable, meaning you can't take it with you if you leave the company. Also, most employers' policies only cover you for one or two years' worth of your salary. That's nowhere near what a family will need. A good rule of thumb is to buy insurance equal to 10 times your annual salary and supplementing any work policy with a type of term life insurance known as a level term policy.

Basically, you pay an annual or monthly premium for a length of time of your choosing. Many folks get policies that last as long as they expect to keep working. At 28, if you plan to work until age 65, get a 37-year term. Why have life insurance end just as mortality rates start rising? Well, you can get a longer term policy, or what's known as whole life insurance, but the premiums can be quite high. And by the time you stop working, your kids should be grown and you should have ample retirement savings. Finally, it's crucial that you sign on with a reliable insurer - one with an A++ rating at ambest.com. Getting taken, even in the name of protecting loved ones, won't do your fledgling family any good.