Why Millennials Need Life Insurance (2024)

Money Motivation

by Kellyon August 24, 2020

If you don’t know how to approach life insurance, you’re not alone. It’s a scary, grown-up term… which is funny to say since I’m a 31-year-old finance educator and investor.

Don’t worry, I often look around for the more ‘adult adults’ to explain things to me — or I consult the ultimate adult, Google.

Luckily for you, I’ve done the research so you don’t have to panic. Calm those heart palpitations, y’all.

While life insurance isn’t the most fun thing to consider, it’s responsible to educate yourself about what it is, why it’s important, and what the best plan is for you and your beneficiaries.

Why is life insurance so important?

I know this is not a fun topic or one that’s comfortable, but it is a topic that is important. Grief is one of the hardest things that we have to go through in life. Unfortunately, as humans, it’s something we must all face.

Having to deal with financial hardships on top of grief is even worse. Losing a spouse and their income on top of having to pay your mortgage or worry about your kid’s college is the last thing you want on your mind.

Having term life insurance helps to take the financial stress out of the equation.

Click here to get a FREE quote!

What is term life insurance?

Term life insurance, simply put, is life insurance that gives an allotted monetary payout the covered person, dies during the term of your coverage, your beneficiary is eligible for a death benefit.

If the term expires and you’re still kickin’, you have the option to renew for another term or convert your life insurance policy to a different plan.

Term life insurance is known as pure life insurance

What is whole life insurance?

Whole life insurance gives you coverage for the entirety of your life if you continue to pay premiums. Your beneficiary gets a death benefit as well as a cash value option, where cash has the opportunity to compound.

Whole life insurance is also referred to as permanent or traditional life insurance.

Term life insurance is appealing because it is cheaper; however, whole life insurance has a cash value built into its plan.

Remember that a life insurance policy is not an investment. It’s a security blanket and should be treated as such.

What is the difference between the two?

When it comes down to it, the difference between whole life insurance and term life insurance is the time period of the policy.

Term life insurance lasts for a set period of time, where whole life insurance ends when you pass away. Another very important differentiation is the cash value component that is associated with whole life insurance.

Why is term life insurance different?

Term life insurance plans are more affordable than whole life insurance plans.

As stated previously, term life insurance policies do not have a cash value associated with them.

Term life insurance provides coverage only if the insured dies during the duration of your plan.

How Much Term Life Insurance Do I Need?

Common advice is to get a life insurance policy for 10-12 times your annual income. This is so that your income is replaced if you die.

It’s also important to note that you might need to take out two term life insurance policies for both partners. No matter what your situation– full-time work, stay at home parent, self-employed — you may need to make up lost income or you will need to pay for domestic services that typically go unpaid.

Want to help protect your family no matter what happens? Get a quote in under 5 minutes to make sure you have what you need.

How much is term life insurance typically?

A term life insurance policy might be the right policy for you. A healthy 30-year-old male can expect to pay an average cost of $26 a month for a 20-year policy with a $500,000 coverage amount.

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Why Millennials Need Life Insurance (1)

At what age should I get term life insurance?

If you have another human depending on the money you bring in each month, you need term life insurance.

How does Ladder avoid requiring a medical exam?

Through questions about lifestyle and health, identity verification, and pulling available data about the individual applying such as prescription and credit history, driving records, and prior attempts at insurance, Ladder can underwrite policies as effectively as with a medical exam for coverage up to $3 million. For coverage above $3 million, a medical exam is required.

Can I trust online insurance companies?

Ladder is the online life insurance agency that I use. Ladder has been backed by industry organizations and leaders and offers policies through highly rated carriers.

“Ladder underwrites the policies they offer in-house. Their data and technology allows them to help their customers.”

Why Millennials Need Life Insurance (2)

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Why Millennials Need Life Insurance (3)

Why Millennials Need Life Insurance (2024)

FAQs

Why Millennials Need Life Insurance? ›

However, some millennials may have their parents or other loved ones co-signed on loans, credit cards and even mortgages. If you pass away, your co-signers are on the hook for any remaining debts you have. A life insurance policy can help them cover those costs.

Why do millennials need life insurance? ›

Millennials are at a stage of life where they may be planning to or have already started a family. If you have people who financially depend on you, such as a spouse or children, leaving them without support is a serious risk. An adequate life insurance policy can cover outstanding debts and provide replacement income.

Why do most people need life insurance? ›

Life insurance is there to help your loved ones with financial needs if you aren't there anymore. Consider your mortgage and other debts, how much income would need to be replaced, money to cover a funeral, and college for the kids.

Why is it important to have a life insurance? ›

Buying life insurance protects your spouse and children from the potentially devastating financial losses that could result if something happened to you. It provides financial security, helps to pay off debts, helps to pay living expenses, and helps to pay any medical or final expenses.

Do you think that you need life insurance why or why not? ›

Couples should each have life insurance in case one passes away so the other can maintain the same quality of life. People with young children are strongly recommended to have life insurance to protect their family.

Are millennials buying life insurance? ›

According to Life Happens, 48% of millennials say they own life insurance, and nearly half say they either need to get coverage or increase their life insurance protection.

How to attract millennials to insurance industry? ›

The millennials and GenZ demography are attracted by authenticity and transparency. They are likely to support the products that they assume align with their values. For insurance to become attractive to the Gen Z and Millennial Consumers, it has to tell a powerful, genuine story that connects.

Do most people have enough life insurance? ›

Women (44%) are less likely to have or have enough life insurance compared to men (38%). People in lower-income households are less likely to have the life insurance they need. Baby boomers (27%) are more likely to have enough coverage, while Gen Z (49%) are the least likely to have enough life insurance.

Who needs insurance the most? ›

Eight types of people who need life insurance
  • Breadwinners. If someone depends on you financially, you need life insurance. ...
  • Business owners. ...
  • Stay-at-home parents. ...
  • Single mothers. ...
  • Singles with no children. ...
  • Parents of a special-needs child. ...
  • Someone with co-signed student loans or credit cards. ...
  • High net worth individuals.
Mar 22, 2016

At what age do you no longer need life insurance? ›

Many people in their 60s and 70s may no longer need life insurance. They may have already paid off the house, stopped working, sent the kids off to care for themselves or accumulated enough assets to offset the need for life insurance. But sometimes buying or maintaining a life insurance policy over age 60 makes sense.

What is life insurance in simple words? ›

Life Insurance can be defined as a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurance company, where the insurer promises to pay a sum of money in exchange for a premium, upon the death of an insured person or after a set period.

How much life insurance is important? ›

A common rule of thumb is at least 6% of your gross income plus 1% for each dependent. A stay-at-home parent should get enough life insurance to cover the costs incurred by the family if anything should happen to them.

Why do most people not have life insurance? ›

Life Insurance Is Too Expensive

Many people overestimate the true cost of life insurance and believe that it is too expensive for them. It is true that the cost of life insurance can vary based on several different factors, but getting coverage can be more affordable than you think.

What is someone typically a child who relies on you financially? ›

What is a dependent? For tax purposes, a dependent is someone “other than the taxpayer or spouse” who qualifies to be claimed by someone else on a tax return. A dependent is someone who relies on another person for financial support. Typically, this includes your children or other relatives.

Do I really need life insurance after retirement? ›

Getting life insurance for retirement isn't mandatory, but it can help when you pass away in your retirement years.

Should a 30 year old get life insurance? ›

If you have a child or partner who depends on your income, or if you have certain types of debt, you should seriously consider getting life insurance. While not every 30-year-old needs life insurance, some would greatly benefit from purchasing a policy.

What percentage of millennials have life insurance? ›

According to that same study, about 48% of millennials and 40% of Gen Z had life insurance. However, these groups are aware that they need life insurance, with 49% of Gen Z acknowledging the need to obtain or increase existing insurance, and 47% of millennials drawing the same conclusion.

Why would someone want to get life insurance when they are younger? ›

Younger often means healthier

Excellent health and youth are closely connected. Because most health issues tend to develop later in life, is yet another reason to consider life insurance when you're young and before health conditions develop.

What age group buys the most life insurance? ›

34 percent of individuals aged 18 to 24 own life insurance, whereas 57 percent of individuals aged 65 and older own life insurance, according to LIMRA's 2022 Insurance Barometer Study.

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