Depending on the life insurance company, rates for smokers can be anywhere from 2 to 4 times as much as for a non smoker in comparable health. Life insurance underwriters have a healthy respect for the link that smoking has to almost any health problem.

In a post about heart disease a few days ago I pointed out in fairly blunt terms the impact that smoking can have on your chances of getting fair life insurance rates if you have had cardiac issues.

Now there is a study that shows a relevant link between smoking and whether prostate cancer will spread beyond the prostate. The study doesn’t indicate that men who smoke are more likely to get prostate cancer, but it does show that those who smoke are more likely to die from the cancer.

Bottom line. If you don’t smoke but are considering it, buy life insurance now. If you do smoke, for the sake of your health and your life insurance rates, quit. Just a reminder. In order to be considered a non smoker for the purposes of life insurance, you have to have not smoked or used any tobacco or nicotine product for 12 months.

This post is somewhat dated. Life insurance underwriting is changing and evolving continually. For more updated information check out some of the key word links. If you have a specific question or topic you need information for do a search. If you don’t find the answers you need contact me and we’ll make sure you get the information that is important to you.