More than 40 percent of Americans donât have life insurance. There are many reasons someone may choose not to buy life insurance. Some people think itâs too expensive, while others donât see the reason for having it.
Many financial planners recommend having life insurance. Many people wonder why. Why is life insurance important?
Weâll take a look at the many reasons you should consider investing in a life insurance policy.
Why is Life Insurance Important?
Many people choose not to buy life insurance. Some feel itâs a waste of money because theyâll never use the policy. Others feel that itâs too expensive.
Life insurance is important for most people because it protects the people they love. If youâre an older adult, you may be thinking about a life insurance policy to help your relatives pay for any debts.
Someone with a large debt like a mortgage or who has a young family may find life insurance is even more important. If something unthinkable happens, their mortgage will be paid or their children will inherit funds. Those funds could support a spouse or create education funds for the children.
Younger people may not think they need life insurance. If you have school debt or even a car loan, though, itâs a good idea to invest. That way, your loved ones wonât need to settle your debts if something should happen.
Some policies may include coverage for disabilities or illness as well. Even just being able to cover funeral costs can be an enormous relief for your relatives.
Those are often the best reasons to invest in a life insurance policy. Depending on the type of policy you buy, though, you may be able to do much more with your policy.
What Does Whole Life Insurance Do?
When people talk about life insurance policies, theyâre normally thinking about term life. These policies are the most common type of life insurance.
Theyâre designed to protect people if they should happen to pass away unexpectedly. As we said, they can be important for protecting your loved ones from being left with a large debt. They can also provide for those left behind.
Term life insurance policies have expiration dates on them, though. You might decide to purchase a policy, which is good for 10 or 20 years. When the term is up, the policy expires.
This is one reason many people decide not to buy a policy. They see paying into the policy, only for it to expire at the end of the term, as a waste of their hard-earned money.
Not all life insurance policies have expiration dates though. Whole life insurance will follow you from the time you take out the policy until you do pass on.
Whole life policies usually have an investment part, which means you can also use them in other ways. Unlike term life policies, which expire, you can decide to cash out a whole life policy instead.
Funding Retirement
One reason to decide on a whole life insurance policy is to fund your retirement plans. A whole life policy can be cashed out when you retire and added to your retirement funds.
You can also wait to cash it out later. You can collect your pension or make withdrawals from your savings. Then you can âtop upâ with the life insurance policy later.
This is a great way to diversify your retirement portfolio. Itâs also an excellent choice for business owners and freelancers for retirement savings. If you donât have an employer-sponsored pension, a life insurance policy might be a good idea.
Funding Your Business
Maybe you arenât a business owner yet, but you want to be. You can also use whole life insurance to help you get your business off the ground in the future.
Investing in a whole life policy now means the funds will be available to you later on. If you want to start a business for your retirement years, this policy can help.
Of course, you donât have to retire before you cash in your life insurance policy. You may decide to wait until youâre well into your career. With experience and recognition in your field, you can then transition to entrepreneurship.
A whole life insurance policy may be able to provide you with some of the funding youâre looking for. It can be difficult to get business loans as a start-up, so you can think of the policy as a loan or investment in yourself.
Securing Your Legacy
A life insurance policy can help you secure an inheritance for your heirs. You might also consider a donation to a favorite charity or organization.
Many people want to leave a legacy, and a life insurance policy may be able to help you do that. Both term and whole life policies become part of your estate if you happen to pass away.
You can dictate how the funds from these policies should be used. Some people choose to endow the funds to a school or an organization they were part of. Others donate to favorite charities.
Getting Peace of Mind with Life Insurance
According to this State Farm insurance agent, the biggest benefit is the peace of mind a life insurance policy brings.
Whether you need to settle debts or you want to secure your familyâs future, the right policy helps. You donât need to worry about how youâll pay for retirement or how much debt you might be leaving to your loved ones.
You canât put a dollar value on peace of mind.
Whether youâre thinking about whole life or term life policy, talking to a knowledgeable agent can help you find a policy that fits. Reaching your goals is easier when you have the right tools in your financial toolbox.
Financial Advice to Build Your Future
You asked, âWhy is life insurance important,â and now you know. There are so many life insurance benefits you might be missing out on. Thus, it is imperative that you get a suitable life insurance plan for yourself and your loved ones.
If youâre looking for more financial insights, check out more of our insightful articles. We can help you work toward the financial future you want.
