Are You Procrastinating Over Life Insurance?
Life insurance. It's one of those decisions that can be so easy to ignore, a can we like to kick down the road, whether that road hails from Philadelphia, Reading, Allentown, Lancaster or beyond. If you've been procrastinating about resolving your life insurance needs, then this article is for you. Let's think this through and get that monkey off your back, shall we?
Life Insurance When Married or Single, With or Without Children
Life insurance is typically purchased to protect our loved ones from the financial hardships they would otherwise face in our absence. With that in mind, let's get real about the nature of those hardships. For those with children, the ante is upped. Yet even for couples with no children, the financial hardships faced by the surviving spouse can be onerous and life changing, to say the least.
Life Insurance to Protect Your Spouse or Partner
For starters, your spouse will need the financial resources to cover all your existing monthly bills without the benefit of your ongoing income. Big ticket items such as your monthly mortage are typically the first thing most people consider when figuring out how much insurance may be needed. However, couples with large credit card balances should also consider the impact of the high interest rates on credit card debt were the surviving spouse forced to make smaller or even minimum monthly payments on that debt. This alone could amount to a life sentence of unending high-interest debt that robs your loved one of the opportunity to save properly for retirement. With the proper life insurance these risks can be mitigated or avoided altogether.
Likewise, consider the amount and nature of all other consumer debt, from your spouse's car, RV, or motorcycle loan on up to truly big-ticket items such as a vacation home. If your spouse were forced to sell these things to help make ends meet, would the proceeds pay off the remaining debt on those items, or would your spouse in effect be "under water"? Consider the emotional impact on your spouse of losing a cherished item such as a vacation home or family car while being saddled for years to come with the remaining debt after the sale.
Funeral costs are sometimes overlooked by those purchasing life insurance. With average funeral costs exceeding $6,500 before ancillary costs such as flowers, grave markers, and other cemetcry fees, your spouse may be forced to put this expense on a credit card if your life insurance policy is inadequate or if the insurance funds are needed for other purposes.
Life Insurance Protection for Those With Children
In addition to the above, those with children should consider the following financial needs or the surviving children, whether or not you are married or single. First, you will want to protect your children from the additional hardship of being forced to move into a different home. Losing a parent can be traumatic in itself, but the shock can be compounded when financial hardship forces a change of surroundings and a feelings of insecurity that often accompanies a forced change in the place they know as home.
Education is obviously important. However, beyond covering your child's college costs, consider if their current schooling situation will be forced to change. Tuition for private grade school or high school may be the first thing to go if funds are low, resulting in further disruption to a child's life at a most difficult time.
Child care is yet another concern, and for two reasons. First, if the surviving spouse is forced to go into the workforce after having stayed at home to raise children, those children may have to leave the familiarity and comfort of home at a most difficult time. Second, if the spouse had been working and continues to do so, she or he may be forced to find alternate care at a lower cost, and possibly a lower quality, again forcing a lifestyle change for a child at a very difficult time.
Think Through Your Life Insurance Needs
The above scenarios provide just a few examples of how your loved ones' lives can change when insurance planning has been poorly executed, or worse, completely avoided. Don't procrastinate. Instead, take the time to think through the needs of your loved ones should they be forced to cope without your income. Every situation is different, which is why consulting with your independent insurance agent can be key to obtaining the best life insurance situation to suit your unique needs.
In summary, we've covered 7 common-sense reasons to get the proper life insurance protection for your peace of mind and your family's welfare. Are there additional financial needs beyond these that apply to your situation?
- Protect your family from financial hardship in general
- Credit card debt
- Other consumer debt
- Funeral costs
- Allow family to stay in current home
- Cover college and private school tuition (avoid change)
- Cover child care costs (avoid change)
Contact Us
Don't kick the can down the road when it comes to life insurance. Please click here to contact us today, or call us at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848 for help in obtaining the right life insurance protection to meet your needs and budget.
