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Articles — page 5

Timely takes on life-insurance trends, data, and decisions — written for families across Sioux Falls and South Dakota.

Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, sitting across a desk from a young single client reviewing paperwork in a bright office with River Navy accent walls

Life Insurance Basics 22 min read

Do You Need Life Insurance If You're Single With No Kids?

Being single with no kids doesn't always mean zero exposure. How to check co-signed debt, funeral costs, and insurability before you decide in South Dakota.
Mike Moore of Big Sioux Life sketching a staircase of staggered term policies on a notepad for a young couple holding their toddler

Life Insurance Basics 19 min read

Does a Term Life Insurance Ladder Save You Money?

A term life ladder stacks policies of different lengths so coverage steps down as your mortgage and kids grow up. Sourced SD numbers, 2026.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, reviewing a life insurance application at his desk in a bright office with River Navy accent walls

Health and Underwriting 21 min read

Does Vaping Count as Smoking for Life Insurance in 2026?

Most carriers rate vapers as smokers, but not all of them, and not forever. How South Dakota carriers actually classify e-cigarette use in 2026, sourced.
Mike Moore, a life insurance and annuity advisor, reviewing a retirement income and annuity tax worksheet with a calculator and tablet at his desk in a bright office

Seniors and Final Expenses 22 min read

How Annuities Are Taxed in South Dakota: 2026 Guide

Annuity earnings are taxed as ordinary federal income, but South Dakota adds no state tax. The 2026 rules on LIFO, exclusion ratios and RMDs, sourced.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, reviewing a life insurance application at his desk in a bright office with River Navy accent walls

Health and Underwriting 21 min read

Does Ozempic Affect Your Life Insurance? 2026 SD Guide

Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound don't automatically disqualify you. How South Dakota life insurance underwriters actually treat GLP-1 drugs in 2026, sourced.
Mike Moore of Big Sioux Life comparing options on a laptop with a client, a stethoscope and exam paperwork on one side of the desk and a smartphone approval on the other

Life Insurance Basics 10 min read

Underwritten vs. No-Exam Life Insurance in 2026: What Convenience Actually Costs

Fully underwritten coverage is usually the cheapest per dollar; no-exam paths trade information for speed. Here's when the convenience is free, when it costs real money, and how to tell which you're being offered.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, reviewing a mortgage protection worksheet with a Rapid City homeowner

Homeowners 22 min read

Mortgage Protection Insurance in Rapid City, 2026

Rapid City's median home listing price hit $438,700 in July 2026. A guide to sizing mortgage protection or term life coverage to your real loan balance.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, reviewing a life insurance application with a South Dakota client at his desk

Health and Underwriting 23 min read

Life Insurance and Marijuana Use: A 2026 South Dakota Guide

Marijuana use does not automatically block a policy. How South Dakota carriers classify cannabis use, non-tobacco rates, and what to disclose in 2026.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, reviewing an A1C lab result and life insurance application with a South Dakota client at his desk

Health and Underwriting 23 min read

Life Insurance With Diabetes: A 2026 South Dakota Guide

Diabetes usually does not mean a decline. How A1C, table ratings and accelerated underwriting actually work for South Dakotans buying life insurance in 2026.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, sitting across a desk from a client and pointing to a printed policy illustration while reviewing indexed universal life insurance terms together

Life Insurance Basics 23 min read

Indexed Universal Life Insurance Explained for 2026

How indexed universal life actually credits interest, why AG 49 limits the illustration you're shown, and when IUL fits a South Dakota household in 2026.
Mike Moore, a life insurance advisor, reviewing a printed income worksheet with a self-employed contractor client at a desk with a laptop and tax documents

Business Owners 23 min read

Life Insurance for Self-Employed South Dakotans in 2026

No employer offers you group life insurance, and your income is not a salary. How self-employed South Dakotans should size term coverage in 2026.
Mike Moore, a life insurance and annuity advisor, reviewing a required minimum distribution worksheet with a retired South Dakota couple at his desk

Seniors and Final Expenses 24 min read

What Is a QLAC? Delaying RMDs in South Dakota, 2026

A QLAC is a deferred annuity that can shrink your RMDs after age 73. The 2026 $210,000 limit, the age-85 rule, and the math for South Dakota retirees.

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