It goes without saying that life insurance is something that most people would like to have in an ideal world, but are there times when it really becomes a more essential form of cover? This article argues that there are particular times when taking out a policy is the only sensible thing to do.
The first instance in which is makes sense to get life insurance is when you buy a property and you have a partner and even children. If some of the money for mortgage repayments comes from your pay packet, you need to consider what would happen should this income not be available anymore (i.e. in the event of your death). Would your loved ones be able to afford it any longer, especially if things like childcare costs are then added on top?
Two things to consider in the above case is how long you will be paying off the mortgage and how old any children might be. Sometimes people may only get a life insurance policy to cover a certain period – either until a home is paid off in full or dependents reach adulthood. You can get life insurance cover through one of the many brokerage services on the internet or by speaking to your financial advisor.
The second occasion in which it is prudent to buy life insurance cover is when you start work in an industry with a higher than average level of risk. This might be something as mundane as a tree surgeon all the way through to war zone reporter. While you will face much higher premiums for such a policy, it makes sense to factor in your higher chance of dying. While your employer may payout some money in such an event, it isn’t always going to be sufficient to support your family and for self employed people or contractors, you almost certainly won’t get any occupational hazard pay.
Finally, you may want to get life insurance if you still hold a significant level of personal debt that you don’t want to pass on to your next of kin. When you die, your estate is divided up and in many cases, the first people to receive money are those you have secured loans with. If you’d rather leave your estate to your family, a small life insurance policy to cover the debts may be an option. It’s comparatively small size will mean the monthly premiums are low.