The Life Insurance Decision

Although it shouldn’t be such a difficult decision, many people struggle over whether or not they should take out a life insurance policy. We’d all like to think that we’ll never have a need for it, that we’ll live to see our children grow old and that they’ll never have to worry about a future without us. While many of us will undoubtedly live to a very old age, not having some type of policy is putting your family’s future at risk. So why do families still struggle with the decision? Typically it’s because people feel like they simply cannot invest that type of money, especially when there’s a good chance they’ll never even need it. Sure, seeing part of your paycheck go towards yet another form of coverage each month can sting a bit, but aren’t you better off knowing you’ve protected your family’s future? If you’re still struggling with the decision, read about some of these important reasons why you need a solid plan.

Why You Should get Life Insurance

• One of the most important reasons to consider buying a policy is for the immediate future of your family. Are you the main provider of income in your family? How can they be reasonably expected to replace your income? Even if you’re a stay-at-home parent, you should still consider a plan. Without you, who will be responsible for taking care of the children or caring for the household? These short term concerns are best addressed with a good plan.
• Next, you need to consider the long term implications should anything unforeseen happen to you. Will your children be able to attend the college of their choice? Do you have any children with special needs that might not ever be self-supporting? Do you have other family members that may rely on you financially?
• Even if you’re fairly well off and strongly believe your family could get by without a death benefit if anything were to happen to you, there’s many costs that people tend to forget about. For instance, do you have any type of credit card debt? How about a mortgage? Or even an auto loan? Your loved ones will be responsible for these debts and any others you have, a scary thought when you consider the average person has close to $10,000 in debt.
• Finally, even if you don’t have children or much family relying on your income, its nice to have even a little protection to cover burial and funeral costs after you death. Even the most modest funeral and burial services can cost over $2,000.

Additional Resources

• Deciding if You Need Life Insurance
• Lack of Life Insurance puts 77 Million Americans at risk