If you are planning a trip to the Olympics this summer, it’s time for a life insurance checkup to make sure you are covered for foreign travel, and if you are considering increasing coverage before you go, you need to apply now.

Most life insurance you have in force will cover foreign travel as long as it was either not planned or admitted to at the time of the application. There is an assumption in all life insurance that opportunities will pop up and you should be able to take advantage of them without losing coverage. I used that very assumption last year when I went skydiving for my first and probably last time. The bucket list, you know!

If you are thinking about increasing coverage and are planning to go to the Olympics, you should act now. Make sure you have the policy in force before you go as companies aren’t real crazy about putting a policy in force when you are overseas. From a legal standpoint you are also supposed to accept, sign and pay for the policy while in the the states.

Bottom line. The good news is that there are quite a few companies that really won’t have a problem with you going to Beijing for a week or two (depending on travel warnings due to terror threats, etc). So, whether you are going to the Olympics or on an African safari, don’t wait until you’re packing your bags to decide to increase your life insurance.