Insurance is supposed to provide protection against financial risks, and while dying too soon is one major risk we face, another risk more and more people fear is outliving their money. As a result, a growing array of life insurance products make it possible to protect against both of those risks.
In many of today's life insurance products, MacDonald notes, "The death benefit portion really has become a commodity type product, so if someone is really concerned about the financial impact of dying young, then they can get a pretty good deal by buying term insurance on a commodity basis--find the cheapest policy and buy it. "But, he says," The other side of the coin is that insurance companies have developed products that can be very creative, and very competitive to other alternatives, including investments. They can fill a very important role in any overall investment plan. "
Diverse and universal policies offer people choices in how much they want to put into their policies and how they want their funds invested. These funds can then be tapped later on to provide a lump sum for purchasing a retirement home or a stream of retirement income. Life insurance is an attractive investment vehicle, because the "inside buildup", the accumulation of funds inside a policy structure , is not subject to taxes, in contrast to other personal investments.
However, MacDonald and others warn against using insurance policies purely as an investment. While there are tax advantages, there are also the costs connected with the insurance coverage, and if you don't need that coverage these can be expensive ways to invest.
Moreover, MacDonald notes that some companies are offering insurance that has a critical illness or long-term care benefit. These policies specify that if someone suffers a heart attack, for example, they will get 25% of the face amount of the insurance policy immediately rather than at death. Or if they must be confined to a nursing home, they will be able to use up to the face amount of the policy to pay the nursing home costs.
Amid the proliferation of insurance product, MacDonald says, "The positive side of it is there are better products--they're cheaper and more flexible. The negative side is that it's more complicated and easier to make a mistake. In the past, it was plain vanilla; everybody was selling the same product and everybody had to find an agent they liked. Now there has been significant changes in product structure and design, and benefits, and so it is worthwhile to shop around. "
The purpose of insurance is to ______.

A. give you money whenever you need
B. protect you from financial risks
C. save money
D. outlive money