If youre looking for cheap life insurance, you should begin looking while youre relatively young and in good health. Age and health are the two biggest factors life insurance agents use to base their decisions about policy pricing.

Unfortunately, most people dont get life insurance until theyre older or until theyve developed a medical condition. Only then do they realize its time to start thinking about protecting their families. But thats also when its practically impossible to find cheap life insurance.

Will your insurance company agree?

Think your high cholesterol isnt much of a problem? Well your insurance company doesnt share that opinion. In fact, if a medical examination reveals this condition, youll more than likely be put into a higher risk category. Once that happens, you can forget about being offered cheap life insurance, regardless of any other factor.

What about your high blood pressure? You think all youve got to do is take a vacation and itll be back to normal, but the life insurance company sees the situation differently. It sees high blood pressure as a precursor to more significant health problems; maybe not next month or even next year but very likely during your coverage period.

The same goes for your weight. What you consider a few love handles around the middle may be considered obese by the insurance company.

Smoking is another red flag when it comes to shopping for cheap health insurance. If you regularly use tobacco products, forget about getting a break on your life insurance premium. In fact, expect it to cost anywhere from 25 to 50% more. Smoking definitely comes at a price because it can cause so many health problems. Besides making you pay more, insurance companies dont really have any other options.

Show you are willing to make an effort

Insurance companies understand that medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, using tobacco products, and being overweight can be controlled and that doing so can lead to a significant improvement in your health.

So there actually is some truth in believing a vacation could help lower your blood pressure. And although you may not have been quoted what you consider a cheap life insurance premium, youre not completely out of luck.

Insurance companies have softened a bit. Rather than permanently locking you into a high risk category for conditions such as those listed above, the company may be willing to improve your rates if you prove youre willing to improve your health. Most agents wont come right out and offer this, but if you ask for suggestions on ways to lower your costs, make sure you listen to the answers.

If you can show youre working towards consistently improving your health, your insurance company may be able to offer cheaper life insurance premiums. Youll be required to show documentation of the improvements, and possibly undergo an independent medical review by the life insurance company, but it will be worth the effort.