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Life insurance and cigar smoking?

Lupa Namfauk

New Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
127
Hello Everybody,
I am relatively new into cigar smoking, probably two months or so, but I have really learned a great deal on here and have come to enjoy 1 to 3 cigars each weekend. I doubt my cigar smoking will ever increase beyond that and there is a good chance that it may decrease. I already have a cooler full of pretty good smokes that at my current rate of smoking would probably last me 2 years, but I enjoy collecting cigars and having plenty on hand to share with others.

I just turned 40 years old earlier this year and my father recently (over the course of the last 8 months) has had a successful bout with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, so I guess I am starting to realize the potential for my own mortality. I have been pretty successful career wise which provides me a generous salary, plus I own a side business that definately enhances our income. So my wife and I have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle. We have also been pretty diligent investors over the past 15 years, but even though our investments are sizable, we need to stay the course throughout the next two decades to reach the point where I would term us as being "self insured".

Here is my concern. I without a doubt generate the lion's share of income between my wife and I (probably 80%). I am starting to worry that something could happen to me and my wife would be left in a very vulnerable position. So I have been looking into term life insurance recently and even though I am what most would consider fit and healthy, my new found enjoyment of the occasional cigar has placed me directly into the category of a smoker (never was a smoker prior to cigars). Most insurance sites recommend term insurance in an amount equal to 8 to 10 times my annual salary, which for me is in excess of 1 million dollars and for a 20 year policy, as a smoker, it ends up being around $300 per month. If I were not a smoker, it would be right around $100.

I could certainly fore-go smoking cigars for a month or two to get the nicotine out of my system (heck with the amount I smoke it would probably be gone later this week) and then lie and apply as a non-smoker, but if I then return to smoking my 1 to 3 cigars per week, I would be putting my wife in danger of being denied the insurance payout if I meet my demise somewhere down the road and the insurance company does an investigation and determines I was a smoker, which I am sure at least a cursory investigation would be carried out on a policy of this size.

I would really like to hear others feeling on this subject. As well as, what others on here have done concerning life insurance. I can't believe that all smokers just get categorically lumped together.

Thanks to all for your feedback,
Paul
 
Paul,

That is exactly what I would do. Just get through the exams without smoking, embellish the truth a little, then start up again after you're set to go. I wouldn't worry about getting sick from smoking at your rate and starting at a later age. If you had started smoking in your teens, you would have a bit more to worry about getting caught red handed. I don't think it will be a problem down the road as far as I could tell, IMHO. If we didn't lie a little on these things, I doubt anyone would ever qualify for life insurance!!

Hell, forget smoking, try breathing in downtown LA's air on a daily basis!!! Talk about carcinogens......that alone should cancel out my life insurance!!!!

~Billy
 
There are many companies out there that offer "Occasional Smoker" rates, or that make exceptions for those that perhaps smoke cigars which are not nearly as harmful as cigarettes. For example, one insurer I know of offers the same rates as non-smokers if you only have 12 cigars per year such as the occasional poker players and golfers. All you need to be able to do is have a clean sample to qualify. Once you're in you are in. If right now you only smoke 12 cigars per year (wink wink), then a year from now that changes it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you told the truth at the time you applied. It's no different than if you decided to take up skydiving 5 years from now. At the policy inception date you were not, nor planning on doing, that activity.

Good luck!
 
Thanks guys. It's something that concerns me, because it's my wife's well being that would be in jeopardy.
Gonz - if offhand you know of some companies that offer "occasional smoker" rates, I would appreciate you passing there names on to me on here or through PM. The good news is I have never taken a physical exam that would show any evidence of nicotine in my system.
Thanks,
Paul
 
I just got married and wanted to start a life insurance plan as well. But from what I've been told life insurance companies blood test for up to 6 months back. If that's the case, then I'm pretty much screwed. Any other input would be great.
 
Link


Here's a link from a little while back. I put a link in Post #9 to an article that discusses several insurance companies and their rates/policies. Good luck to you.
 
I just got married and wanted to start a life insurance plan as well. But from what I've been told life insurance companies blood test for up to 6 months back. If that's the case, then I'm pretty much screwed. Any other input would be great.


What does that mean? Testing 6 months back? I thought something was either in your system, or out of your system based on the threshold of the test?
 
I'm an insurance agent by day, tobacconist by night. One of the companies I represent will give you select rates even if you smoke as long as everything else is O.K. PM me if you are interested.

Typically on any life app it asks questions like:

"have you ever used tobacco ?" if so, how often, what type. If you say yes - they then want to know if usage is current . if not, when did you stop. These are generalizations of the questions but you get the idea.

Here is the kicker - ANY- life policy has a 2 yr contestability period from the day it is effective. Basically that means if you die in the first two yrs the ins. co. has the right to review the answers on the application and if something does not materialize as fact they can deny the claim.

So my advice is to come clean and maybe pay a bit more but have the peace of mind that you are purchasing the insurance for.

KR

Edit - for clarity
 
I just got married and wanted to start a life insurance plan as well. But from what I've been told life insurance companies blood test for up to 6 months back. If that's the case, then I'm pretty much screwed. Any other input would be great.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=742181
Nicotine and Cotinine's half-lifes are pretty short (Nicotine is a stimulant, after all), so you shouldn't have problem getting clean.
 
If you're an occasional cigar smoker, I have one word for you - LIE.
 
Question for you KR: If you lie and say you don't smoke cigars and get approved for non-smoker rates and get hit by a car the following month, could they deny the claim even though smoking a daily cigar had no bearing on your death?
 
I appreciate everyone's feedback, albeit of varying opinions. Right now I am going to do some more research and leave the lid closed on my cooler full of all those fantastic smokes. The crazy thing about all this is I only started smoking cigars about 2 months ago and never messsed with tobacco at all since almost 3 decades ago when I got into my dad's cigarettes and snuff, which I am not ashamed to say both made me vomit violently LOL!
 
I think it also depends on what company you get your insurance through. My whole family are Financial Planners and they've mentioned that Mass Mutual is a lot more accommodating to cigar smokers. They tend to deal with wealthier clients and run into a lot more cigar smokers. They are a lot more likely to brush off the occasional cigar then some other companies. But, that is just what I have heard.
 
Question for you KR: If you lie and say you don't smoke cigars and get approved for non-smoker rates and get hit by a car the following month, could they deny the claim even though smoking a daily cigar had no bearing on your death?

They could if they dug into it far enough and discovered that you had been smoking when you said you were not.

Above where you sign the app is a paragraph parts of which read

"I agree that all answers and statements are true to the best of my knowledge"

" I realize that any false statements or misrepresentation may result in loss of coverage under the policy"


So is it worth it? not in my opinion. Not if you have a family that depends on you.







If you're an occasional cigar smoker, I have one word for you - LIE.


See above post. :rolleyes:
 
KR- lets say that you decide to start smoking after you sign the paper work, how would that play out?
 
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