There was a
time when life insurance was primarily for the main income earner, and there was very
little more to think about. These days, however, there are many situations in which you
can use life insurance to protect what you have now, to build for the future or to care
for your family. Here's a review of the most common situations. Your home, your castle: covering the mortgage.
Most of us would sleep better if we knew our families wouldn't have to worry about making the mortgage payments if we die prematurely. In fact, there are a couple of ways you can arrange to provide your family with enough money to cover the mortgage in that situation. One is to have enough life insurance to take care of your family's immediate needs after your death, as well as pay off the mortgage. To accomplish that, you can acquire personal protection or have your coverage increased by the appropriate amount. The money from your personal policy will be paid to your family, so they can decide what to do with it. The other way is to arrange specific mortgage insurance through a mortgage lender. Although this arrangement does not pay your family extra money, it can give you peace of mind.
At home: the value of household management
Don't underestimate the value of child care and household management services provided by your stay-at-home partner. These services are worth a lot and should be insured. If your partner dies suddenly, you and the rest of your family could be facing many extra costs to replace these services, during a time of great emotional upheaval.
On the job: what happens to your business?
If you own your own business, you can use your insurance in several ways. You can protect your business from any financial hardship caused by the death or disability of a key employee. Insurance can also be a valuable part of your employee compensation packages. With insurance, you can also provide your family or partners with enough cash to buy out your shares after your death. Or you can use your insurance policy to compensate family members who are not inheriting a stake in your business.
Calculate your life insurance needs