Life Stages That Impact Your Life Insurance Needs

Marriage

Getting married is a positive and exciting life event for any couple, but amidst all the party planning, most couples do not stop to think about how marriage could affect their life insurance needs. Getting married means that you are now one unit, and your financial obligation becomes a joint effort. Marriage does not directly affect your life insurance rates, but now that you have a spouse, you can choose to purchase a policy together. Having a joint policy means that if one of you passes on, the surviving spouse is financially stable and can maintain their current living standard. The surviving spouse is also in a position to use the death benefits to supplement retirement or a child’s education down the road.

Becoming a Parent

Becoming a parent is an equally amazing and terrifying experience. One moment you are an independent adult, and the next, you have a child who entirely depends on you. It is vital for you and your spouse to review your life insurance policy because it is no longer just the two of you—you now have at least one financial dependent. It is time to think about how your family would cope financially if something happened to either you or your spouse.

When you have a kid, there are other factors that are important to consider, such as the fact that kids can be expensive to raise. Also, child-rearing expenses tend to increase with age. You should also keep in mind that college education is expensive. As a parent, you should ask yourself whether your partner can handle these child-related expenses if you are suddenly not there.

Mortgage Protection

Your family home might be your most significant asset, but it is also one of the most substantial financial responsibilities. For most families, mortgage repayments constitute their largest regular expense, and it is for this reason that most people take life insurance policies. Life insurance can be an essential lifeline for the family, especially when the primary earner in the family passes away.

Running a Business

If you are self-employed or run a small business, the chances are high that you have made a substantial investment in it. If you have made an investment in the recent past, such as purchasing a new building, it could change the value of your business. If this happens, insurance limits are raised so that they can cover business debts that your family might be liable for if you passed on. However, if you don’t have life insurance, they might be forced to liquidate some assets to pay off the debt.

Divorce

If you and your spouse decide to divorce, it is crucial that you determine what happens to your life insurance policy. Divorce will raise two kinds of issues: beneficiary and coverage issues. If you did not have children during your marriage, the issue is as simple as just changing the beneficiary and adjusting your coverage to reflect your newly single status. If you have children, you simply change the beneficiary from your spouse to the children.