As a general rule, how does age impact life insurance premiums?

Age significantly impacts life insurance premiums due to the correlation between age and risk. As individuals age, the likelihood of health complications and death increases, which means insurers perceive older applicants as higher risk. Consequently, insurance companies adjust the premiums accordingly. They raise the cost of premiums to compensate for the increased likelihood of having to pay out on the policy sooner than they would for a younger individual. This risk assessment leads to a general trend where premiums tend to increase as the insured matures.

The other options do not reflect the standard practices in life insurance. Premiums typically do not decrease with age, remain the same over a lifetime, or remain entirely independent of age. Such misunderstandings can arise, but the established principle is that age is a fundamental factor driving the cost of life insurance premiums.