Which of the following statements best describes the characteristic of term insurance?

Term insurance is primarily characterized by its provision of coverage for a specific time period, which aligns perfectly with the selected answer. This means that policyholders can choose a term that suits their needs, such as 10, 20, or 30 years, during which they are insured against death. If the insured passes away during this term, the beneficiaries receive the death benefit; if the term expires while the insured is alive, there is no payout and no cash value accumulated.

The other aspects mentioned in the choices do not accurately apply to term insurance. For instance, it does not offer a cash value component; that characteristic is typical of whole life or universal life insurance. Although some term policies might be designed to be renewable, it is not universally true that they are always renewable regardless of age, as certain policies may have age limits. Additionally, term insurance does not have a loan value; that feature is typically associated with permanent life insurance policies that accumulate cash value. Understanding these points reinforces the idea that the definitive feature of term insurance is its duration-limited coverage.