Cheap Life Insurance for Astronauts? Probably Not.
by Kirk Bangstad
Find My Insurance Policy Columnist

Hopefully, Soichi Noguchia and Steve Robinson bought life insurance before they began their current jobs. If they didn't, they may have trouble finding a life insurance company to help them out now, because they happen to be the two astronauts from the space shuttle Discovery that stepped outside into outer space to do some repairs on the International Space Station. Not only is hanging out in outer space a bit dangerous, but getting to space with two rocket boosters carrying more than one million pounds of solid and flammable propellant is definitely not as safe as riding in a Chevy Suburban.

Low Cost Life Insurance Can Be Found
If the most dangerous thing you do from day to day is take a carpool of kids to school in a Chevy Suburban, there is a good chance that you will be able to find low cost life insurance. When applying for a life insurance policy, people are asked a number of questions about how they lead their lives. They are generally asked about their smoking habits, age, occupation, and other health and lifestyle matters--their answers help underwriters determine whether to write the policy and how much to charge based on the applicant's risk profile.

Want Cheap Life Insurance? Don't Smoke.
Smokers and elderly people generally can't get the same low rates as healthy young non-smokers, because life insurance companies know that they are more likely to die sooner. Thus, many parents will take out life insurance policies on their children as tax shelters or savings vehicles because children's life insurance rates tend to be quite low.

Get Free Life Insurance Rate Quotes Online
If you think its time to invest in life insurance, take a look online for some free life insurance rate quotes. These days, life insurance companies provide websites that calculate how much you'll likely have to pay for life insurance based on the information you type into an online form. Once you get a sense of how much you'll likely have to pay for life insurance, it will help you shop for the best bargains. If you're an astronaut, however, you'll probably have trouble getting a good deal.

Source:
Kennedy Space Center

About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is a Senior Columnist for FindMyInsurancePolicy.com. He holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.