Do You Really Need Life Insurance?
Life insurance is one of those taboo subjects for normal, casual
or friendly conversation. Whenever people, however, develop a
life threatening illness, have a close encounter with another
vehicle on the highway, or otherwise find themselves in a
situation where they are likely to be rated or declined by an
insurance company, they suddenly develop a desire for a good life insurance policy. To give credit where credit is
due, there are some thoughtfully disciplined people who give
their portfolios regular review and make certain they have
adequate coverage at all times.
I want so much for all people to think like the disciplined
ones. In my career as a life insurance agent I bent backwards to
persuade such people to keep their life insurance up to date. I
have seen the difference between an adequately insured
breadwinner at death, and one who barely had enough life
insurance to bury him. The latter situation is quite painful to
observe.
I, therefore, think it is imperative that everyone take the time
to evaluate and understand what life insurance really can do.
Ask yourself this question, "do I need life insurance and why do
I need it."
If someone, be it your wife, your children or your business
partner, depend on you in any way that can be seen as a
financial dependency, then you do need life insurance. In the
case of premature death your family will need money to pay your
last expenses, like outstanding bills, funeral expenses,
attorney's fees, medical bills and estate taxes. The businessman
will need life insurance to fund a "buy sell" agreement, to pay
off outstanding debt, or may be to keep the company afloat while
they find a replacement for a deceased valuable employee.
I implore you to look at the following situations which will
help you decide whether or not you need life insurance. So just
try to relax and objectively as you can evaluate the situation
for yourself.
One Parent Only Working
The most devastating situation occurs when one parent works and
the other stays at home. Should the working parent die at a time
when there are insufficient funds for the survivors to continue
living in the manner to which they have become accustomed, then
they may have to sell the house. The comforts which they had
enjoyed for years would totally change. The minimal requirement
is sufficient funds which would allow the survivors to adjust
their lifestyle.
The ideal situation is to have sufficient funds which would
allow the surviving parent not to work at all, during the
formative years of the children. They can live in the same
house, they can continue in the same school, and when the time
comes to enter college, they go to the college of their choice.
A good insurance policy is an excellent tool that you can use to
take care of these things.
Both Parents Working In todays world, in most families,
both parents work and share the expenses. If one parent should
prematurely die, would the income earned by the surviving parent
be sufficient for the family to live on? Probably not. In
anticipation of that possibility a fund could be set up, through
an Insurance policy, to replace, totally or in part, the
deceased parents income.
Single Parent In the case of a single parent, all the
financial responsibilities for the family may lay on his or her
shoulders. If that parents died while the children are still in
school, how will the children survive?
Partnership Or Corporation
Let us look at the situation where you own your own business.
You have one partner or several partners. One partner dies. Is
it not fair that the surviving partners should own the business
and the deceased partners family receive full value for his or
her stock? Adequate Insurance coverage can take care of
this eventuality also.
It may be desirable by all parties concerned that the
beneficiary of the deceased partner become a full and active
partner, if this is the situation then the funds can be used as
a cushion while the new partner or shareholder learns the
business and adjusts to his or her new role.
Key Employee Some employees are difficult to replace. It
may take some time to get a replacement up to the production
level of your long time, well seasoned and highly efficient
employee. If your business depends a great deal on a particular
key employee, would it not be wise to insure that employee in
case he or she should die suddenly? The company would receive
the death benefit in this case, and the money would be used to
keep the company afloat, while a replacement is found and
trained.