It's Time To Stop Avoiding Life Insurance, And This Is Why (2024)

It's Time To Stop Avoiding Life Insurance, And This Is Why (1)

This post is sponsored by Haven Life. As always, all opinions and ideas are entirely my own.

Whether we moms are working out of necessity or out of the desire to pursue a career, we all have the same motivation to take care of our families financially. But there’s an aspect of providing financially for your family that people often overlook, and that’s life insurance! It’s one thing to provide for your family right now, but it’s also important to consider how your family might struggle if you were to die prematurely. I know, not fun to even entertain the idea, but definitely worth considering.

My first foray into the life insurance market was about 20 years ago, when I left the stay-at-home mom life to go back to work. I remember feeling so overwhelmed, confused, and flustered because the process was so complicated!

But the process of learning about and applying for life insurance has gotten so much simpler and more convenient in recent years, thanks to modern technology and startups like Haven LifeInsurance Agency (Haven Life). I’ve partnered with them today to share just how approachable buying quality life insurance can be, and how much peace of mind you’ll feel by having a financial safety net for your family.

It's Time To Stop Avoiding Life Insurance, And This Is Why (2)

What Is Life Insurance?

Here’s a quick refresher on life insurance, for those of us who could use one. ;-) First, life insurance helps protect your family financially if you die. The payout from a policy can help them manage day-to-day expenses and can be used to help pay the mortgage, debts, child care, and other financial needs. Expenses like these, as well as funeral costs, add up and are substantial for young families.

Thinking about these things really helped me start to understand just how important it is to have life insurance coverage. Not only coverage, but the right amount of coverage for my family. None of us would want our families to struggle financially if we were no longer around.

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Who Needs Life Insurance?

So now that we’ve covered what life insurance is and why it’s important, let’s talk about who should have it. You may need life insurance if you…

  • Are the primary breadwinner. (Four in 10 women are!)
  • Have kids or other dependents, or will soon have them.
  • A single parent.
  • Are soon to be married, or are in a committed relationship with shared financial obligations.
  • Have debts, such as a mortgage, co-signed school loans, or medical expenses that would be left to your loved ones to pay off.
  • A stay-at-home parent. (The work of stay-at-home parents has a real dollar value—Salary.com estimates it as high as $143,000 per year!)

The bottom line — if you have a partner or child who relies on you for their financial well-being, then you should consider a life insurance policy.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

The amount of coverage you need depends on several factors related to your family and financial situation, but as a rule of thumb, most experts recommend a policy worth five to 10 times your annual salary.

There are several types of life insurance out there, but for many, term life insurance provides a good mix of coverage and affordability. A term policy terminates at a certain point in time (Haven Life offers policy terms of 10, 15, 20, and 30 years). You pay a monthly premium rate that remains the same for the duration of the policy.

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When deciding what term length is best for your policy, consider where you and your family are in life at that moment. If you have young children and you want coverage through college, a 20-year term policy may be best for you. If you and your spouse just bought a new house, a 30-year term policy might be the best fit.

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Fortunately, you don’t need to break out your calculator and try to estimate how much you need on your own. Haven Life has a really helpful (and free!) life insurance calculator that does the work for you! Simply provide a bit of information about your family structure, and you’ll get a recommendation as to how much coverage you need and the right term length.

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How Much Does It Cost?

Of course, the deciding factor for most people is how much it’s going to cost. And the good news is that life insurance is often surprisingly affordable! A LIMRA report states that on average, people estimate that life insurance will cost them three times more than what it actually will! So instead of assuming it’s out of your price range, it’s probably a better idea to get a real quote! :-)

Haven Life has made getting a life insurance quote fast and easy, and there’s no obligation. They’ll give you an estimate for how much a term life insurance policy will cost, and the whole process will take just a few minutes of your time. I got a quote from Haven Life, and I was actually shocked at how affordable it was! For example, a healthy 35-year-old woman can purchase a 20-year, $500,000 term policy, issued by MassMutual, starting at about $18 per month with Haven Life.

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If you decide to apply, Haven Life has made that part blissfully simple too. Their simple online application provides an instant decision on coverage once complete. You can also rest assured knowing that Haven Life is fully backed by MassMutual, one of the leading life insurance providers in the country.

I hope what I’ve shared today helps everyone understand the whole life insurance process a little better, including how easy and affordable it can actually be! I’m dedicated to spreading the word to as many people as I can, and I hope you’ll do the same. :-) Apply for term life insurance through Haven Life.

Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC15DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Not all riders are available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527.

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This post was sponsored by Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC (Haven Life). All opinions are my own.

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It's Time To Stop Avoiding Life Insurance, And This Is Why (2024)

FAQs

Why do people avoid life insurance? ›

One of the most common reasons people don't buy life insurance is that they perceive it as too expensive. However, life insurance premiums can vary widely depending on the type of policy, coverage amount, and individual factors such as age, health, and lifestyle.

Why would you not need life insurance? ›

Not everyone needs life insurance. People who've accumulated enough wealth to cover their final expenses and who don't have dependents can usually forgo paying for life insurance.

When should you stop getting life insurance? ›

There isn't any age cut-off that makes life insurance no longer worth it; it's all about your personal situation. That being said, it is often worth having life insurance after 65 if you have dependents who rely on you financially.

Why should I cancel life insurance? ›

There are two main reasons why people consider canceling their life insurance policies: they either no longer need coverage, or the premiums have/will become too expensive. If you find yourself in one of these scenarios, deciding whether to cancel the policy or not will depend on the type of life insurance you have.

What is the major problem with life insurance? ›

One disadvantage of life insurance is that the older you are, the more you'll pay for a policy. This is because you're more likely to pass away during the policy period than a younger policyholder and will, in turn, cost the life insurance company more money.

Do people really need life insurance? ›

If you're single or you have other sources of wealth to protect your family, then you may not need life insurance. But if you're like most people, you will have mortgage payments, college expenses or the need to protect your family from the loss of earnings if you pass away.

Is whole life insurance a rip-off? ›

But every type of whole life insurance has the same problems—they combine life insurance with some kind of savings or investment account that comes with low returns and high fees. The result—you don't get the life insurance coverage you really need or build the savings you expected.

Do rich people need life insurance? ›

If you earn a high salary, it usually makes sense to insure your income, just like you would insure a house, car, or any other asset. But even if you have enough money for your family to maintain their lifestyle when you die, life insurance can be used for the following purposes. Business protection.

What happens if I don't want life insurance anymore? ›

Let the policy lapse: No matter what life insurance policy you have, you can simply stop paying premiums at any point. The policy will lapse, and you'll lose coverage. Keep in mind that you typically can't recover any of the premiums you paid once the policy lapses.

What is the 7 year rule for life insurance? ›

Congress set up this rule to prevent people from using life insurance cash value as a tax shelter instead of for insurance protection. Life insurance policies that receive too much in premium payments during the first seven years turn into a MEC.

Do I get my money back if I outlive my life insurance? ›

If you outlive your coverage, 100% of the money you paid in premiums during the term is returned to you, tax-free. However, if you fail to make your payments or cancel the policy, you may not get a premium refund (exact rules vary by insurer).

Is life insurance worth it after 70? ›

Life insurance is a smart idea for most seniors. That's especially the case if you have a spouse, lack plans to cover end-of-life costs or don't have a long-term care insurance policy.

Is it better to save or have life insurance? ›

In short: Savings may be sufficient for the short term, but it likely won't be enough should your financial needs change. Only life insurance can adequately support you through such adjustments. Get a life insurance quote online now or use the table below to start reviewing some options.

Do you lose your money if you stop paying life insurance? ›

This means that you can stop paying the premium and collect the available cash savings. You will no longer be covered by life insurance, but you will at least save some of the proceeds of the policy. You may, however, have to pay taxes on some of the cash value if the sum exceeds what you have paid in premiums.

How do I get out of a whole life insurance policy? ›

Instead, you could choose any one of the following:
  1. Cancel the policy and cash out – Remember the amount depends on the surrender period and how much you've paid in.
  2. Shorten death benefit term – You don't have to keep your death benefit for the duration of your plan and can instead opt for a shorter term.

Is life insurance worth it after 50? ›

Getting life insurance at 50 can be worth it if there are people who depend on you financially. Regardless of your age, life insurance provides a financial safety net for loved ones (or business partners) who would experience financial hardship if you die.

Is 40 too old to get life insurance? ›

30 to 60 years old

Whole life or universal life policies, if you can afford permanent coverage, can provide more financial security for your loved ones. But if you have a lot of debt, you may opt for a high-value term life insurance policy until the debt is paid down.

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