Answer to Readers Question: If you have a medical issue you should let the insurance company know about it. It is safer to disclose any health conditions you may have at the time that your apply for life insurance.

There is a list of questions that most life insurance brokers will ask you. If your broker doesn’t ask you any questions, then I suggest you run (don’t walk) and find a more responsible and honest broker!

Each question in the list can lead to additional questions if the applicant answers in a particular way. For example, if the broker asks the applicant if she has any dangerous hobbies — and the applicant says “yes, I scuba dive” — then the broker should ask specific questions about her scuba diving (perhaps such as how often, how deep are the dives, and so on).

The most important thing is don’t lie to your broker or on an application form. Always tell the truth. You should feel comfortable enough with your broker that you can confide all of your concerns. If you don’t feel comfortable with your broker, then please find another broker! Open communication is critical to finding the most affordable life insurance policy that’s right for you.

I understand many people are scared to tell the truth and they think the truth will prevent them from getting coverage. But that’s usually not true!