One of the things we value in our life is certainty and predictability. It would be good if everything stayed the same so that, once we have put everything in place, we could just lie back and let life pass us by. Unfortunately, life has a nasty habit of waking us up. If we are lucky, the plans we laid cover the emergency. If not, it’s a case of picking up the pieces, working through the problems and putting new plans in place for the next time. But then there are the problems that creep up on us without any fanfares to announce their arrival. One morning we wake up and, when we look around, we find things are not the same. Welcome to the phenomenon of inflation.

This is where the prices of goods and services slowly rise over time. The purchasing power of our weekly or monthly paycheck drops. With some persuasion, our employers reluctantly increase the pay and make up the difference. The result is a steady erosion in the value of the dollar. What was a good sum twenty years ago becomes a pittance today. This represents a subtle threat. Unless you actually think about the adequacy of your insurance coverage, you just drift on paying the instalments. If the worst happens, your dependents then find out there is enough to cover the cost of the funeral and pay the family outgoings only for a month or so.

In a recent survey of financial preparedness, the answers show that about 60% of all adult Americans have coverage representing less than three times their net annual income. In many cases, this amount would not be enough to clear off the outstanding mortgage on the family home let alone provide a lump sum to tide people over until the loss of income can be recovered. But the detail of financial planning is about more than a simple formula. Some industry professionals recommend coverage representing not less than six or seven times the net annual income. But it’s always better to start with the estimated level of debts. We start with the mortgage and any other loans secured on the family home.

Although these amounts should slowly fall during your lifetime, many people actually maintain or increase the amount borrowed. This may be to trade up in the quality of the home or to release some of the housing equity as cash. The first priority should be to ensure that the family’s occupation of the home will not be threatened. Now add in the unsecured debts in overdrafts and on credit and store cards. Then what are the longer term plans to pay for your children’s college education? The number of dependents and their needs change during your life so keeping the amount of coverage the same is always an option. But, in most cases, inflation-proofing is the better choice, particularly if the policy has a cash value. This gives you more personal security later in life. Continue reading →

When you insure your life, you not only get a flexible financing tool that secures your future, but also protect your family and loved ones in situation when you just can’t help. So when it comes to insuring your life, having a substantial research and analysis on the matter is viable for having just the right policy to meet your needs. To give you some hints on the most important aspects of this insurance type here are some things to consider:

1. Shop around to save a buck

As with any product and insurance in particular, it is reasonable to spend some time and shop around. Get as many quotes as you can from different companies to see what they have to offer for the same price or amount of coverage. You will be surprised to learn that sometimes the difference is huge.

2. Get the right amount of coverage

Having too much coverage can be quite costly and you may end up paying for coverage you don’t need at all. The same goes for having too little coverage, as who needs a policy when you’re underinsured in the end? Analyze your insurance needs and get the exact amount to meet them, without going to extremes.

3. Better health means lower rates

It’s a well known fact that the better your health the lower premiums you’ll have to pay. So if you want to get a reasonable price for your insurance policy, make sure to not have any bad habits (smoking, drinking) and have a general healthy lifestyle. Sometimes the difference in rates can be really impressive for you to consider.

4. The earlier you buy the better

You may think that buying life insurance earlier will make you pay additional premiums you don’t feel like paying yet. But this is a misconception that will make your insurance more costly in the long run. The younger you are, the lower your rates will be and if you choose the right type of policy, you will still pay the same rates when you get older.

5. Make reviews of your coverage every now and then

Anytime you have significant changes in your life (marital status, children, job change, etc.) you might want to review your coverage and adjust it to your current insurance needs. You don’t want to get underinsured or have too much coverage to pay for, right? Continue reading →