Five Truths to Know about Life Insurance

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, a time like any other when we can come up with several excuses to either not own life insurance or not own enough. Here’s to setting the record straight:

Excuse:

I have plenty of time to buy it.

Truth:

Perhaps you do, but what if the unthinkable happens before you buy it? You aren’t immortal. Or what happens if you develop a medical condition that either makes you uninsurable or makes life insurance unaffordable?

Excuse:

Life Insurance is too expensive.

Truth:

The younger you are, the cheaper individual coverage is. You might also afford a term insurance policy, especially one that allows you to convert to permanent insurance down the line. And don’t forget about employer-sponsored life insurance, which is group coverage that is typically less expensive than if you bought it on your own, which typically ends when you leave the job.

Excuse:

I have enough insurance through my employer.

Truth:

Maybe not, unless you supplement that amount with individual life insurance coverage. You may want
enough insurance to cover three to seven years of lost income and living expenses, plus any extras such as replacing lost college savings.

Excuse:

I’m a stay-at-home spouse, so I don’t have income to replace.

Truth:

If you are no longer around, your spouse will need to pay for childcare if you have young children. If you don’t have young children, your spouse’s income still may not be adequate to pay others to perform the tasks you did, affecting the family’s standard of living. Life insurance can help fill this gap.

Excuse:

I don’t want to buy something I don’t understand.

Truth:

That’s a legitimate concern, but you have control over it. Ask questions. If you can’t get answers that are easy to understand, talk to a financial professional who can provide them.