Whole life is two pieces...term if you die too early+ savings to pay you back when you die (sadly it's happening at some point)
Because they *know* they have to pay out the full amount, they will charge you such that they can cover you of you die early, but likely will collect from you more than you pay in, in today's money. A dollar today is not the same dollar 30 years from now.
If you do term only, you pay for the risk of early death a much smaller amount. For whole, they will give you your money back, minus their profit, a long time from now.
It may seem like a deal, but with value of money diminishing daily, you are on average always getting less than you put in (or they would go broke). That's why so many suggest term. You only pay for the risk of early death. We are going to die eventually, why should I hand over money to get it back diminished after my death?
If you have certain goals that require that money at the time of death, regardless on when you die, it may be for you, but for most everyone else, the goal is to die pennyless, except for exactly what you want to leave behind. Anything you can't spend... You can't take with you.
Term protects your family only when they depend on your income, for cheap.
Whole is guaranteed, but at a very high cost... It's like 10% insurance 90% investment.