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Life insurance from a family-owned Fort Collins agency.

Term, whole, and universal life - explained in plain English. We figure out what your family actually needs and structure a policy that protects them without wrecking the budget.

  • Term life for affordable protection during the years that matter most.
  • Whole and universal life for permanent coverage and cash value.
  • Family-budget conversations - we recommend what fits, not what pays the most.
  • Bundled discounts when paired with home or auto.
Life Insurance hero photolife-insurance-hero.png
Top 3
BestOfNoCo
2023 · 2024 · 2025
CO & WY
Licensed agents
two states
75+
Combined years
of experience
1969
Agency lineage
Fort Collins, CO
Life Insurance overview

What life insurance actually pays for.

Thompson Insurance Agency provides life insurance for families across Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, and the rest of Northern Colorado. The two big families of life insurance are term (a level death benefit for a fixed period, much cheaper) and permanent (whole, universal, indexed - lifelong coverage that builds cash value). For most households, the right answer is mostly term with a small permanent layer. Voted Top 3 in Northern Colorado three consecutive years. Licensed in Colorado and Wyoming. To get a quote, call (970) 482-0078.

Life insurance gets sold harder than almost any other personal-finance product. We won't do that. We'll walk through the math of how much you actually need, recommend the structure that fits your situation, and price the policy honestly. If permanent life isn't right for your situation, we'll say so.

Life insurance structures

The two families and what each one is for.

Most life insurance comes down to a choice between term (cheap, simple, finite) and permanent (pricier, more flexible, lifelong). Here's how each one works and when it makes sense.

01 - Most common

Term Life Insurance

The starting point for most families

A level death benefit for a fixed period - 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years. Pays out if you die during the term. Premiums are dramatically lower than permanent insurance. Right for parents with young kids, a mortgage, and 15-25 years of earning years ahead.

Typical limit: 8-12x annual income. Term length: Until kids are grown / mortgage is paid.
02 - Permanent

Whole Life

Lifelong coverage + cash value

Coverage for life, fixed premium, builds guaranteed cash value over time. Pricier per dollar of coverage than term, but never expires and accumulates as a savings asset. Used for estate planning, lifelong dependents, or supplemental retirement income.

Right for: Estate planning, special-needs dependents, supplemental retirement.
03 - Permanent

Universal Life (UL / IUL)

Flexible permanent

Permanent coverage with flexible premiums and a cash-value component tied to interest rates or a market index. More complex than whole life - the flexibility cuts both ways. Best built with someone who understands the mechanics.

Right for: High earners with maxed retirement accounts.
04 - Add-on

Final Expense / Burial

Smaller permanent policy

A small whole-life policy ($10,000-$30,000) that covers funeral costs and final expenses. Often sold as a standalone product to seniors who don't need or qualify for a larger policy.

Typical limit: $10,000-$30,000.
The family-budget conversation

How we think about how much life insurance you need.

There are several formulas. None of them are perfect. The right number depends on what you'd want your family's life to look like if you weren't there. Three things we always walk through.

01 - Income

Replace your income for the years that matter.

Most families need term coverage equal to 8-12 times the primary earner's annual income, for a term long enough to get the youngest kid to college and the mortgage paid down. That's the baseline. Anything else is on top.

8-12x Annual income, term coverage
02 - Debt

Cover the mortgage + debt.

Most term policies are sized so the death benefit pays off the mortgage and major debt at minimum. That way the family doesn't lose the house in the same year they lose a parent.

Mortgage Baseline coverage need
03 - Education

Don't forget the kids' education.

Add 4 years of in-state public-school tuition per child to the death benefit calculation. CSU in-state runs ~$30k/year all in; out-of-state and private run dramatically higher.

$120k Per child, CSU baseline
Life FAQ

Questions we get a lot.

If your question isn't here, call us — we'd rather answer it on the phone than read about it in a help center.

Call (970) 482-0078
For most NoCo families with kids and a mortgage, 8-12 times annual income in 20- or 25-year term coverage is the right starting point - enough to pay off the mortgage, fund kids' education, and replace household income through the highest-earning years. We'll walk through a specific number based on your household situation.
Term covers you for a fixed period (10-30 years) with no cash value. Permanent (whole, universal, indexed) covers you for life and builds cash value. Term is dramatically cheaper per dollar of coverage. Most families need mostly term, with permanent as an add-on for specific purposes like estate planning or special-needs dependents.
The right time is whenever someone is financially depending on you and you don't have enough assets to cover them if you weren't there. For most people that's marriage + mortgage, or the first child. Premiums increase with age and health changes, so earlier is almost always cheaper.
Most fully-underwritten policies require a quick medical exam - typically a paramedical visit in your home. Simplified-issue and guaranteed-issue products skip the exam but cost more and have lower coverage limits. We'll walk through what makes sense for your situation and health profile.
Ready when you are

Life insurance from a family-owned Fort Collins agency.

Tell us your household basics - age, household income, mortgage, kids - and we'll walk through what coverage you actually need. No hard sell on permanent. No pushing the highest-commission product. Just the math, and a real recommendation.

Call the agency
Mon-Fri · 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
2108 Milestone Dr · Fort Collins, CO 80525