Life insurance is a confusing and difficult concept to understand because a lot of different scenarios and variables can change how different life insurance companies and their plans would work for your lifestyle.

If you are employed, there is a good chance your employer offers you a group life insurance opportunity. This is different from permanent life insurance and whole life insurance because if you purchase a group plan through your employer, it will generally only cover you for as long as you are employed at that company.

Insured adults are more likely to have only group life insurance obtained at work, according to LIMRA, and adults with only group coverage carry the smallest amounts of life insurance.

Group life insurance usually is less expensive, according to Insure.com, but it might not be a strong enough plan to fully cover your family if were to unexpectedly pass on. It depends on what your employer offers, but group plans frequently range from a set benefit amount of $5,000, $10,000 or even $20,000, to paying out anywhere from a year’s salary to several years.

Most group plans are term life insurance plans, meaning they will expire at a specific time, often once you leave the company. Depending on where you are in your family life, the group life insurance coverage may be all you need. But if you want to help fund higher education for young children, or keep your spouse from ever having to work full time to support the family without you, you may need to create a stronger financial security plan.

Using group life insurance as a supplement to another long-term life insurance plan might be a way for your family to do this. Term life insurance gives you premiums that are guaranteed not to increase in price and your beneficiaries will get a cash death benefit if you pass away during the term of the policy – usually 10, 15, 20, or 30 years.

And permanent life insurance is typically more expensive, but you are also accumulating cash value in your policy in addition to death benefit protection.

As you research your family’s needs, you may find enrolling in your employer’s group life insurance plan is adequate to keep your family financially secure after you’re gone. Or you may discover you need to get some life insurance quotes from a reliable insurance agent.