Bring it, email it, or text a photo of the first page. I will tell you what it actually covers, whether the beneficiary is still right, and whether anything needs attention.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Dev Gaymes, Texas-licensed life insurance agent, NPN 16654074 · Editorial policy
Most people buy a policy once and never look at it again. Then a decade passes, a marriage or a child or a job change happens, and nobody updates anything - because the policy is quietly doing its job and there is no reminder that anything needs checking.
A review takes about fifteen minutes. It costs nothing, you do not need to be a client, and the most common outcome is that I tell you your coverage is fine.
Whatever is easiest. Any of these is enough to start:
One of the most common mistakes I see is buying the first term policy you're offered, then shopping it again a few years later. Term coverage is simple: the goal is a reputable company at the most competitive rate for your situation. Getting that right at the start matters, because every year you wait, you're a year older when the new term begins.
In our September 2026 sample rates, the same $500,000 20-year term policy costs roughly 7% to 9% more for each year of age between 35 and 50. Bought at 40, it's $34.64 a month; at 45, it's $53.23.
Re-shopping is often still the right move, especially if your health has improved since you bought. Weight loss, quitting nicotine or a condition that is now well controlled can earn a better rate class that more than makes up for the extra years. But the difference you paid while waiting is money you don't get back. Buy a longer term now or wait: a worked example.
Most term policies contain a conversion privilege - a contractual right to convert to permanent coverage with no new medical underwriting. Your health can have changed completely and it does not matter. The carrier must honor the conversion at your original health class.
If you own term coverage, the single most useful thing you can do today is find out when your conversion window closes. It takes one phone call to the carrier, or I can read it off the policy for you.
Conversion is a right inside your existing contract, which means it goes through the company that issued the policy. I hold appointments with 30+ A-rated carriers. If yours is one of them, I can help you exercise the conversion directly. Tell me the carrier and I will confirm.
Worth stating plainly, because this is where the industry earns its reputation.
Sometimes. If your health has improved, a better rate class can more than make up for being older. But each year of age adds roughly 7% to 9% to the same policy's price in our sample rates between ages 35 and 50, and that difference is money you don't get back, so the best time to compare carriers is before you buy. If you do replace a policy, keep the old one in force until the new one is issued, because the new policy restarts the two-year contestability period.
A structured look at coverage you already own to confirm it still does what you bought it for. It covers what the policy actually pays and under what conditions, whether the beneficiary designation is still correct, whether the amount still matches your obligations, whether premiums are being paid from an account that will not close, and for term policies whether a conversion deadline is approaching. It takes about fifteen minutes and there is no cost.
No. I review policies for people who bought elsewhere, people who inherited a policy and do not understand it, and people who have no intention of buying anything from me. If everything is in good order I will say so, and that is a completely normal outcome.
The policy document if you have it, or an annual statement. If you have neither, the carrier name and policy number is enough for me to start. For group coverage through an employer, your benefits summary works. If you cannot find anything at all, that is its own useful finding and there are free searches worth running.
Only if replacing it is genuinely better for you, and I will show you the comparison in writing before you decide. Replacement carries real costs - a new two-year contestability period, possible surrender charges, and a new rate based on your current age and health. Most reviews end with me confirming the existing policy is fine. Texas requires specific disclosures on any replacement, and I follow them.
If your term policy is with a carrier I hold an appointment with, usually yes - I can help you exercise the conversion privilege that is already in your contract. If it is with a carrier I am not appointed with, I can explain how your conversion option works and what the deadlines are, but the conversion itself has to go through that company or an agent appointed with them.
Most term policies include a contractual right to convert to permanent coverage with no new medical underwriting, within a defined window. That means a health change after you bought the policy does not affect your ability to convert. It is the most valuable feature term policies have and the one people most often let expire, because the deadline is in the contract rather than in any reminder the carrier sends.
Check your policy document for a conversion provision, which typically specifies both an age limit and a number of years from issue, whichever comes first. If you cannot find it, the carrier can tell you in a phone call. This is worth doing before a health change rather than after, because once you are outside the window the option is gone permanently.
No cost and no obligation. I am paid by commission from carriers when I place coverage, which means a review costs you nothing whether or not anything comes of it. I will not follow up repeatedly if you decide to do nothing.
Replacement of life insurance in Texas is governed by regulations administered by the Texas Department of Insurance, which requires specific disclosure and comparison forms. Conversion privileges, deadlines and available permanent products are set by your issuing carrier and stated in your policy contract. Dev Gaymes is a licensed Texas producer, NPN 16654074, verifiable through the NIPR national producer database.
Dev Gaymes is a licensed insurance broker, not an attorney or tax advisor. A policy review is general education about coverage you already own and is not legal, tax or investment advice, nor a recommendation to keep, change, surrender or replace any policy. Conversion rights, deadlines, available products and all policy terms are governed solely by your issued policy contract and the issuing carrier. Appointment with a carrier does not guarantee that any particular conversion or product will be available to you. Any replacement of existing coverage is subject to Texas replacement regulations, including required disclosure forms. All new coverage is subject to carrier underwriting approval.